Small Yet Standing Tall
by rizzlescalzonafic
Summary: Prequel to Born This Way. Lucy Quinn Fabray was the apple of her parents eyes. Considered their miracle child as the only surviving twin born at prematurely at 28 weeks, until a rare neurological disease discovered at age 5 began picking away at the glue that held the family together. With the support of her extended family, Lucy fights to win back control of her body.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Prequel to Born This Way. Lucy Quinn Fabray was the apple of her parents eyes. Considered their miracle child as the only surviving twin born at prematurely at 28 weeks, until a rare neurological disease discovered at age 5 began picking away at the glue that held the family together. With the support of her extended family, Lucy fights to win back control of her body. Co-authored with Oracleismyname.

AN1: You do not need to be finished with Born This Way to read this prequel. It will only enhance your understanding of the Fabray family for that story.

AN2: The prologue has a slight trigger warning for stillbirth. This is a very sensitive subject and we have done our best to write this in the most sensitive way possible.

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. No copyright infringement intended.

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**Prologue**

"Wow." The happy exclamation left Russell Fabray's mouth seconds after he walked into his sister's living room.

The room had been transformed from soothing beige to an array of primary colours. Crayon and paintbrush helium-filled balloons hung from doorknobs. A banner hung on the far wall, strung up above the couch. Happy Birthday Frannie. It proudly displayed.

Russell's hazel eyes lit with happiness as he made his way into the kitchen.

"Do you like it?" His sister, Mary Evans asked, accepting the kiss he placed on her cheek, before going back to stacking cupcakes into a Tupperware container.

"Absolutely. Frannie is going to be over the moon."

"How's my nephew?" His hand rested briefly on Mary's swollen belly. At 30 weeks, his sister looked like she was going to pop any second.

"Samuel is going to be a soccer player." She stated. As if on cue, her stomach moved as the baby within kicked, but the pure joy shining brightly in her eyes belayed any discomfort she felt.

Russell had been surprised when his sister and brother-in-law had offered to host Frannie's seventh birthday party. In a days time this house would be filled with a bunch of wild and crazy kids. This was Mary's first child after many years of trying and they'd had a few scares in the beginning, but now they were nearing the home stretch and she was turning into the energiser bunny with nesting. He was praying that Frannie's party wouldn't be too much for his sister to take on.

"I think you may be right."

"How is Judy today?" Mary asked, her voice turning from joyous to concerned.

"She's doing fine." Was the quick reply. Russell focused on the task of closing the various food containers littering the counter and placing them in a rolling cooler filled with ice.

Mary looked at her husband, Dwight, over the top of her brother's head.

"I see that look, sis." He said, not bothering to look up.

"If Judy isn't up to this Russell, we can video tape tomorrow's party instead." Dwight spoke gently, moving around to help with the prep work.

Russell stopped his actions, laughter filled the kitchen. "Judy would disown us if she didn't get to celebrate her daughter's birthday. It's bad enough that she's not going to make it to Frannie's actual party."

A few minutes later, Russell's car was filled with the supplies for Frannie's surprise birthday party and he was on his way to pick up Judy's parents.

At 4:30, Mary and Dwight's, car pulled up to Belleville elementary school. Dwight disappeared into the building while Mary stayed in the air conditioned vehicle. A few minutes later Frannie climbed into the seat. She had her book bag and a small cardboard box. Mary twisted as much as she could to greet her niece.

"How was art club?" Mary wisely didn't ask about school, which her niece was not that fond of. Instead she asked about the summer art club which Frannie attended three of the five week days and usually raved about.

"It was great Aunt Mawy." Frannie grinned and continued on without missing a beat. "I finished the door hangings for the twins."

Mary overheard some of Frannie's classmates calling her Fannie Fabway one day while she waited to pick the girl up. She suspected this was the real reason her niece didn't like school. The art teacher picked up on Frannie's talent and was doing everything to encourage Mary's niece. Speech Therapy was already starting to work wonders in straightening out Frannie's inability to pronounce R's correctly. She was smart enough, getting good grades, and her behaviour at the school always received good remarks even if the teacher's thought she was too quiet. Mary hoped the twins' birth in a few months wouldn't disrupt the seven year old too much. So far her niece was coping fairly well with Judy's enforced hospitalised bed-rest.

The car started out and Mary kept her niece distracted in hopes that Frannie didn't realise they were driving towards the hospital. Thankfully they didn't need to drive all the way to Cleveland. Nearby Akron was able supply the specialists Judy and the twins needed.

"You've picked out a name then?" Russell and Judy Fabray, wanting to include their daughter in the pregnancy as much as possible, decided to let the young girl pick out the names for the twins. The parents made sure Frannie knew they could veto her name choices. As of that morning Frannie hadn't decided.

Frannie nodded. "I don't know if mom and daddy will like them?"

"Let's hear 'em." Dwight spoke up for the first time while glancing in the rear-view mirror. So far his niece gave no indication that she realised the vehicle was moving in the opposite direction of their home.

"Okay." Frannie bit her lip for a moment trying to decide if she wanted to share the names with her aunt and uncle. She really wanted their opinion. She just had to get her brother and sister's names perfect for her mom and dad.

"Well my bwother will be Isaac James."

Mary gasped and Frannie glanced at her before hastening to explain. She couldn't tell if her aunt who sometimes was just as emotional as her mother lately liked it. "For Gandpaw Weaver and Gandpa Fabway."

"I think it's perfect." Dwight spoke for his wife. Mary seemed a little choked up and Dwight fought the urge to laugh at her. His son was wreaking havoc on her emotions the further the pregnancy progressed. "And your sister?"

Frannie gave a toothy grin. "Well… Lucille Quinn after Nana Lucy and Nana Angela, but I don't really like Lucille so we can call my sister Lucy or Quinn. I like Quinn better. What do you think?" Nana Angela's maiden name was Quinn which Frannie thought was really neat.

Mary laughed at the verbal onslaught from the backseat. Frannie tended to be pretty quiet and so Mary knew how excited her niece must be about getting siblings finally.

"I think Lucille Quinn is a perfect name and your Nana's will be honoured just like your Papaw's will be."

Mary snuck a glance over her shoulder. Frannie was chewing on her bottom lip, a pensive look on her face.

"What is it?"

Frannie hummed while playing with the edge of her box as she looked out the car window before looking up at her aunt.

"What is it?" Dwight asked. Frannie had a tendency to hold in her questions and think them to death. The girl was very quiet and withdrawn sometimes.

"Did mama have the twins?" She asked, but she wasn't looking at her aunt and uncle. She was looking out the window at the passing scenery. They weren't heading home.

"Frannie." Mary began while placing her hand against her growing stomach feeling her son kick at her insides. "If your mother had the babies we would have told you right away sweetie."

Mary knew the six-year-old was worried about the twins coming early. They all were. Judy had been hospital-bound for close to two months now while doctors did everything they could to keep the babies in place for as long as possible. Judy just reached 20 weeks. It was late June and Frannie attended her speech classes in the morning, followed by half-day summer school and rounded out the afternoon with her art club. It had been a blessing to keep Frannie busy while Russell worked to support the family. But now, the summer programs would be ending soon to give the teachers that sacrificed their summer vacations for the sake of Belleville's youth a little bit of a break before the school year started in August.

The girl never complained that she was at school during the summer, but that she would miss the births while she was at school. That was everyone's worse fear yet Frannie wasn't aware of how dire that would be.

"Okay." Frannie didn't sound like she believed them. Dwight side-eyed Mary a knowing smirk on her face. Frannie hummed in the backseat, shifted, kicked her legs a little and then nearly tore the top of her box off while messing with it.

"Out with it." Dwight chuckled. For as quiet as his niece could be the girl also could work herself into an antsy mess.

"Are we going to the hospital? Did something happen? Why didn't daddy pick me up?" The questions came in quick fire succession. Mary chuckled.

"Your mother is fine, she simply wanted to see you, and your dad is already there."

"Oh." She whispered low and under her breath.

"Your Nana and Papaw Fabray are picking you up for the night, remember?" It was Friday and Frannie was always handed off between one relative or another. Normally, it was her aunt and uncle that took her in. She'd forgotten that she was going out to the farm.

"Oh." Frannie repeated her earlier statement this time with urgency, her voice rising sharply in pitch. "I forgot my bag! We need to go home now! It's that way!"

It was all that Mary and Dwight could do to keep from bursting into laughter at Frannie's exclamation and needlessly pointing her whole arm behind her. They knew which direction their house was. It was cute, which Frannie could undoubtedly be, but she also shut down at any indication she was being made fun of and their laughing would have surely caused a meltdown. So Dwight and Mary turned fairly red, struggling to keep their breathing level.

Frannie narrowed her eyes.

"We packed a bag. It's in the trunk." It's not like it would matter anyway. Frannie spent enough time at all her relatives that she had spare outfits and night clothes at each place.

"Oh!" Frannie repeated for the third time. Mary rolled her eyes. Cupcakes tonight and more sugar at her party tomorrow was surely a really bad idea. Mary was exhausted just sitting in the car listening to her niece. "Is Buck going to be at the hospital?"

Mary and Dwight shared another look. This time it was their weird family dynamics. As an extended family, the Fabray's were very close. Dwight and Mary Evans lived right down the street on a secluded cul-de-sac in Belleville, Ohio from her older brother, Russell and his family Judy and Frannie soon to expand by two little infants. A few minutes into the Ohio countryside on a sprawling farm handed down through generations was the Fabray farm, Apple Run. Mary and Russell's parents, Angela and James ran the farm out of pure love and history for the farm. The newest and most complicated member of the Fabray family was Bryan, whom Frannie had nicknamed Buck for some reason. Bryan was the elder Fabray's 16 year old adopted son.

Mary and Russell had definitely been shocked when their parents, approached them with the news that they were training to become foster parents. The siblings had humored their parents, never thinking that Angela and James would go through with it. Less than a year later, the whole extended family had been interviewed and the elder Fabray's were approved. Frannie thought it was cool that she'd finally get a kid her own age to hang out with. She was either too young or just didn't care about what it all meant. Bryan No-Last-Name, as the rough young man called himself at the time, came to the farm at midnight three days before Christmas. Frannie was five and Bryan was 14 almost 15. Mary would love to say that despite the training the family handled his arrival with class and grace.

That wasn't the case.

He was huge, almost 6'2" and only fourteen. It was obvious that he spent most of his time working out. The young man's muscles bulged from his tank top despite it being winter in Ohio. His pants dropped down past his rear end and Russell had clamped his hand over his young daughter's eyes so fast that Frannie stumbled backwards. Bryan was, in their naive sheltered view, the very typical inner city thug.

It was not a good start. While Russell was concerned about Bryan's influence on Frannie, Mary was concerned about her parents' safety. Looking back on it, Mary felt nothing but shame at their reactions. They'd been naive in their thinking and taken by complete surprise at how rough Bryan was. Russell gave out and Bryan gave back ten-fold. Mary tended to keep her concerns to herself and only voice them to Dwight and her mother.

Frannie for her part adored the teenager and hung off him every chance she could calling him 'monkey baws'. Bryan though not receptive to Russell's aggressiveness seemed okay with Frannie. They could tell he barely tolerated her most of the time but once in a while he would crack a smile and pull a funny face at her sending her into hilarious giggles. That Christmas holiday was rough and not the normal jovial affair.

It all culminated when Judy, Russell, Dwight and Mary along with Frannie were in the car headed to the farm to celebrate New Year's Eve, with the young girl smushed between Judy and Mary piped up that she didn't understand why no one loved Bryan, she did and he was just a kid like her. It was insightful and the adults thought the young girl had been oblivious to the tension. It was pie in the face and silent the rest of the ride.

James Fabray had enough of it. His adult children were not too old to get a piece of his mind. He'd had enough and was bound and determined that the New Year would start out differently. He'd given them a fairly good dressing down in the wee early hours inside the horse barn away from prying ears.

Things changed after that as far as Russell was concerned. He spent hours in the evening and weekends on the farm being a big brother and father figure to Bryan. Frannie didn't mind, she was learning to ride the horses and loved the old farm. Slowly Bryan was starting to come around. James kept him busy on the farm with hard work, which Bryan actually loved. He said it kept his mind away from things. They didn't pry as to what those things were. James joked that he was going to make a country boy out of him yet.

"Aunt Mary?" Frannie asked when her aunt didn't respond.

Mary was pulled from her musings. "Yes, your Uncle Buck will be there."

Frannie made a strangling sound, pulling a grimace. Bryan had been adopted shortly thereafter and therefore was technically Frannie's uncle. The two kids hated it with only a ten-year age difference between them. Life with Bryan was not easy, but slowly the boy was turning it around. There were still days, weeks even months though when they just had to give the sixteen-year-old space.

A short while later Frannie led the trio through the high risk maternity ward. She knew the way like the back of her hand. The nursing staff greeted her with happy smiles and some even wished her a happy birthday. By the time Frannie reached her mother's hallway she was beaming. Surely the nurses wouldn't be so happy if her mother was anything but fine. Some days Frannie had trouble believing the adults and she had to see for herself that they were telling the truth. If possible, her smile grew even wider as she practically bounced up to her mother's closed hospital door. Someone had taped a tiny sign to it that said Happy Birthday Frannie.

Forgetting the rule that she should always knock first when a hospital door was closed and wait to be invited in, Frannie burst through it to excited to contain herself. She stopped dead in her tracks almost exploding with excitement, but remembered in the knick of time that she was standing in a hospital and had to be quiet. She contained her squeal with a strangled little sound.

The family within chuckled at the look on the young girl's face. Even Bryan cracked a smile for her. He normally found these kind of things awkward and uncomfortable. Showing so much love for one another was not something he knew very well and struggled with it. He liked the rugrat though, even when he pretended he didn't just to rile her up.

Frannie took in the decorations. There weren't a lot as the doctors needed to be able to clear her mother's room in a hurry, but it was obvious that a lot of thought went into them.

"Surprise!" Russell finally called to her after she'd spun 360 degrees to take in everything.

Frannie let out a squeal then and launched herself into her father's arms. Russell gathered her up in a giant bear hug. Once her feet hit the linoleum again, she was gently reminded to use her hospital voice.

"Oh," she whispered, which caused the room to chuckle again. Everyone was pleased that they'd made the reserved girl happy.

"Come here, sweetie." Judy motioned to her from her position on the bed. She was tethered to the bed by IV's and heart rate monitors, both her own and the twins. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. They were keeping her flat on her back most of the time. Anytime she was upright and moving she had a small army of nurses with her. Her activity was restricted so much in hopes of keeping the twins in place. They'd successfully managed to stop her labor twice and were hoping to make it to that magical viability period, but no one was relaxing. The dynamic duo, as Russell had dubbed them while waiting for his daughter to name them, were bound and determined to make an early appearance even for twins. She was being monitored around the clock and thusly was very uncomfortable. Russell's work had been informed that at a moments notice he would drop everything to be at his wife's side.

After hugging her mom, the pensive look from earlier was once again present on her pretty face.

Judy smiled and tugged at Frannie's cheek causing the girl to smile. "The babies are fine, see." Judy motioned to the monitors right beside the bed.

There was a lot of information on the monitors, but Frannie knew what the three pointy squiggly lines moving across the screen nurse that was looking over the readouts confirmed Judy's reassurances. Satisfied, Frannie bounced down to Judy's massive belly. Her mom was much larger than her aunt, yet not as far along. Her mom and aunt both complained about being beached whales. Frannie didn't really understand that, she was just glad to be getting three babies she could play with finally.

She looked up at her mother. Judy smiled, her hand tapping lightly on the exposed skin on the right side of her belly. "That's Baby A." The baby within kicked in reply to the pressure.

Frannie shyly looked at her aunt, who gave her a reassuring smile. Normally Frannie wasn't so reserved when showing the babies affection, but she was about to reveal their names. They'd been calling them Baby A and Baby B for months now.

Frannie lightly hugged the spot and then placed a wet kiss on the skin right above the wide white heart rate monitor band.

"Hi baby Isaac James." Frannie was looking at the spot on her mother's belly. She was too nervous to see their reactions. "He's my bwother!" She added unnecessarily but with pride.

Bryan snorted at her. But held his comments back at his father's look.

Judy sucked in a breath upon hearing her father's name come from her her daughter. Her relationship hadn't been the greatest, but she liked the idea of forging a new and better relationship with another Isaac, her son. She looked to Russell for his reaction. Her husband was smiling widely. James looked to be fighting back tears at being honored in such a way. He discreetly wiped at them. He had to uphold his image as scruffy farmer. Angela patted his knee knowingly, deep down the grandfather was a softy.

Frannie finally looked to her mother and saw the tears that Judy was wiping away. The little girl felt bad, she hadn't mean to make her mommy cry.

Judy read her like an open book. "These are happy tears, honey. It's perfect." Judy spoke through her tears. She motioned Frannie up and kissed her.

"Here's Baby B." Judy patted just below the contraction band at the left side of her belly.

Frannie kissed the spot and announced the baby girl's name as Lucille Quinn, complete with the same rambling diatribe as in the car of calling her Lucy and not Lucille. She only stopped when she was forced to suck in a breath.

When she looked up, everyone was smiling at her. Frannie seemed to grow taller in that instant, pleased that she made everyone happy.

Russell crossed over to her and pulled her into a hug, then he kissed the spot on his wife's belly where his precious baby girl was kicking away. "Hello, Lucy Quinn."

He helped Frannie up onto the bed where she settled in under her mother's loving arm. The party continued on with much laughter. Even Bryan contributed a few funny tales from the farm. Frannie perked up hearing that she'd been promised one of the horses, Whitner, when she was older. It was her grandparents gift to her.

Judy's eyelids had a mind of their own after awhile and she was having trouble staying awake. Mary was having much the same problem and they had a drive back to the farm. The nurse came in making noise about visiting hours ending soon.

Judy pulled Frannie into a tight hug, lingering a little longer than the girl liked. Finally with one last happy birthday wish the room emptied out leaving Judy to ponder her growing family.

July went fast for the family with no further complications. Still Judy remained in the hospital for observations. Frannie started school at the beginning of August. When Judy hit 27 weeks, Mary made the trip up from Belleville. She was late in her own pregnancy and just shy of her due date. The hour drive was about all she could manage. She was keeping Judy occupied with tales of Frannie's first weeks of school. The girls visits to her mom had slowed down greatly so that her school work wouldn't suffer. Judy wasn't feeling the worlds greatest that day, she was very uncomfortable, and so the distraction was very welcome.

Mary had just launched into the tale of Frannie's art projects when alarms started blaring in the room. Mary steadfastly refused to budge from Judy's side as the doctors kicked into high gear. She pulled the nurse card and focused all her attention on keeping her sister-in-law calm. She wished she didn't know as much as she did and could ignore the medical jargon flying around. The doctors were frantically searching for Isaac's heartbeat and an ultrasound produced no movement. Isaac James had passed away.

Mary tried her best to console her sister-in-law, but all her years as a hospice nurse, having to tell her patients family's that their loved ones had passed away, did nothing to prepare her for this. This was her nephew, gone before he even had a chance.

Judy could not be consoled no matter how much Mary and the medical staff reassured her that Lucy had a strong heartbeat. Fearing that the stress would jeopardize the second baby, they gave Judy something to relax her. As her sister-in-law drifted into a drug induced haze, Mary made the worst phone call of her life. She called Dwight, sobbing into the phone. Only after he was positive Mary was safe to drive did Dwight agree to meet Mary at Russell's work. There was no way that they were telling him this news over the phone.

While Mary placed her grief into a neat little box in her mind so that she could hold the shattered remains of the family together, Russell fell completely apart. He did not make it to Akron to join his wife until late in the evening. Dwight practically carried the unconsolable man into his wife's hospital room.

A week later, Lucy Quinn, entered the world at a whopping two and a half pounds. Judy had gone into labor, the remaining baby's heart rate dropping dangerously low with each contraction.

It was a solemn operating room as the doctors delivered the preemie girl via caesarean section. The tiny infant let out a minuscule cry no louder than a mouse squeak. Russell hovered anxiously as the neonatal specialists fought to stabilize the infant. She was too blue, too tiny, barely the size of his hand. How something so small could survive, he didn't know. Russell Fabray prayed like he had never prayed before, right then and there in the midst of the chaos all around him, he prayed that his daughter would be a fighter. He bargained with God for her survival.

-GLEE-

The curtains were drawn up around Judy's lower half as the medical team silently delivered Lucy's twin. A couple weeks later, Mary went into labor and delivered her healthy boy.

What should have been the happiest of times for the extended Fabray family had turned into an unthinkable nightmare. Frannie couldn't understand how a baby could pass away when it wasn't even born. Her confusion grew as her aunt had her cousin and a few days after Sam's birth when he came home. Frannie's mom was out of the hospital, or so Frannie was told, she barely saw her as she stayed in the NICU or a hotel nearby. Frannie wasn't allowed to see her baby sister for the first few weeks, by the time her dad escorted her up to the big glass window that looked into the neonatal intensive care unit, Frannie was convinced that they were all lying to her and Lucy had passed away too.

She waved hesitantly at her mother, who had deep bags under her eyes. It took a couple nurses and her mother to gently lift the tiny infant. The baby looked foreign to the girl and nothing like her cousin. She was tiny, sickly thin, her skin still translucent and on a ventilator. Her father tried his best to reassure her that Lucy was fine. It was the first time Frannie would know that her daddy was flat out lying to her.

This was all a confusing time for the seven year old and as she began to draw farther away from her mom and dad and closer to her grandparents and Bryan. She spent most of her free time on the farm outside of Belleville, riding home with Bryan after school. She became lost in the beauty that was a working farm and started to hide behind her art.

Two months after her birth, the Fabray's, brought Lucy home from the hospital.

-GLEE-

The two riders made their way leisurely towards the large farmhouse from the creek that ran through the back acres on the Fabray's farmland. The sun was just setting across the fields in a rich golden hue.

It was the end of May and Bryan was a couple weeks away from his high school graduation. Life on the farm was a far cry from his initial upbringing. He'd grown to love it. The feel of achy muscles from the backbreaking work while he helped his father, kept him focused on the better things in life. His birth parents were both in jail and the state severed all ties. That was just fine with Bryan. As the years passed by he occasionally thought of them, but he no longer dwelled on his past. His future was too bright for that. He had his dad, James to thank. The crusty old farmer never let him sink into a depression that always lurked just beneath Bryan's surface. James always made him focus on the here and now and no amount of overthinking could change Bryan's past. 'You just put one foot in front of the other and keeping going until one day you find yourself far away from where you started.' James told him after one particularly nasty meeting with his birth parents after he first came to the farm. Bryan had never forgotten those words of wisdom.

"I still don't understand why you joined the Air Force?" Frannie spoke up from her pony, a palomino; its coat was a rich golden hue with a white tail and mane. It wasn't the horse she'd been promised on her seventh birthday. She was still too young to switch to the larger chestnut colored horse which Bryan was currently sitting on. Frannie glanced up towards her 'uncle', shading her eyes from the sun with her straw hat. She internally snorted. She still couldn't think of Bryan as her uncle.

Bryan loved the hard work and the discipline it took to run a farm, so when the military recruiters started showing up at his high school, it seemed like a no brainier to him. It wasn't about money for college as some of his classmates had joined up for, as a former ward of the state, he was covered in that regards. For Bryan the uniform appealed to him. As a kid from inner city Cleveland, born to hard-core druggies, living in rural Ohio, Bryan's classmates often feared him. Fear was not respect. Bryan didn't want to be feared and the uniform commanded respect. He's seen it plenty on Veteran's Day and Memorial Day. Bryan had approached his parents with a handful of pamphlets and a list of pros and cons, fully expecting to be told that it was a silly idea. Instead, James and Angela had listened intently, talked it through with him and went with him to the recruiters. After the initial appointment, they told him to think it through and if that was what he wanted to do, they would stand proudly by his decisions. Bryan joined up a week later.

Bryan shrugged. He'd explained it plenty of times over the last few months. Frannie knew why he joined; she simply didn't want to think about the only person she could relate to leaving her. Bryan remained quite waiting her out.

After a moment of contemplation, feeling the horse rock underneath her saddle, Frannie spoke up again. "I don't want you to get killed."

Bryan chuckled earning a glare, Frannie was still sensitive to being made fun of. He held up his hands innocently, the reins hanging loosely in his grip. If he had stayed in the gang infested place of his youth, he'd surely never had made it to his 18th birthday. Bryan wasn't concerned.

"Not everyone who joins the military dies, Frannie."

"Whatever." The girl mumbled, she squeezed the pony, brining him into a canter. A few moments later she was galloping towards the stables.

Bryan rolled his eyes and took off after her, he had a lot of work to do in the remaining few weeks before his basic training if he was going to leave on Frannie's good side.

Frannie wasn't mad at Bryan, she just felt lonely when she wasn't around him. Her sister and cousin were not nearly as fun as Frannie at seven thought they would be. Now a couple years older, the babies were toddlers and Frannie found them to be annoying. They were everywhere, running around like crazy. They clung to her and climbed all over her. Bryan didn't seem to mind it, he'd pick them up and dangle them upside down from their ankles while swinging them around until they either dissolved in fits of giggles or started to get sick. Frannie simply shrugged them off most of the time. After Lucy's tumultuous birth, Frannie had grown to like the solace found in being alone. She had a hard time relating to her parents. They'd changed a lot. Lucy became their whole world and if Lucy was happy, they were happy. Frannie felt left out most of the time. It wasn't necessarily the toddlers fault, but Frannie found herself on the outside looking in.

Bryan headed to San Antonio a few weeks after his high school graduation. It was six weeks after that and Frannie was once again at her Grandparents farm. This time the front hallway of the farmhouse held four suitcases. She was headed to San Antonio, Texas to see Bryan graduate. She was accompanying her grandparents and father across the country and she buzzed with excitement. She researched the place and was excited to draw the Alamo. Bryan's letters home which he'd sent as often as he could told of a huge parade ground with flags and large jets. Frannie had two sketchbooks and her pencils, high quality ones, tucked into her carry-on. They were gifts from her Aunt and Uncle Evans, just for the trip and were so much better than the student quality ones she'd been using. No one could convince her to pack them in the suitcase that went under the plane. The graphite would get broken and she never knew when inspiration would hit. She'd never been on a plane or even in an airport. The whole adventure had her excited.

The little kids came running up to Russell, their legs moving as fast as they could. They were covered in dirt, having played in the backyard with their moms on the play set, to keep them out of the way. Lucy crashed into Russell's legs not being able to stop herself in time. He grabbed her up in his strong arms, blowing a raspberry into her neck. She tried to wiggle out of it, giggling loudly the whole time.

Finally he dropped her back to the ground. She buried herself into his knees, looking up at him with massive hazel eyes, the spitting image of his own.

"Go daddy?" She asked, then stuck her thumb into her mouth sucking on it.

Russell dropped down to his knees, hugging her to his chest. "Yes, Frannie and I are going. We'll be back in five days." He held up one hand wide showing her five fingers. He wiggled them at her.

A small grin broke out behind the thumb. She smacked her tiny hand into his. Then a moment later the smile turned into a frown as he kissed her and straightened up. He reached for a suitcase, but Lucy stomped her foot and held on tightly to his leg.

"No! Go daddy!" She held on tightly as he tried to walk to the door.

Frannie sighed. Lucy was going to meltdown as only a toddler can do. This was the first time that she would be separated from her father for more than a night or two. Russell absolutely doted on the toddler and unless he was at work, the tiny girl was attached to his leg. It wasn't uncommon for Frannie to come down from her room after doing homework, to find her dad and her sister asleep in Russell's big armchair together.

"Dad, she wants to go with us."

Lucy looked at her big sister, nodding her head in agreement. She let go of her daddy's knee long enough to point at herself with the hand not stuck in her slobbery mouth. "I go daddy!" She stomped her little foot for emphasis.

Russell chortled at her, picked up two of the suitcases and walked stiff-legged out of the farmhouse, Lucy still attached to his knee.

-GLEE-

Three years later...

Angela Fabray stepped outside into the warm fall air. The squeak the screen door to their farmhouse made couldn't compete with the giggling and squeals of laughter of her grandchildren.

The scene before her was very typical but it never failed to bring a smile to Angela's face. Lucy and Samuel ran circles around her son playing some game only five year olds knew. Lucy ran towards her daddy jumping on him. Russell went down with feigned pain, clutching at his chest. She caught the sidelong glance at Judy and slight upturning of lip as Lucy crept towards him, a seriously concerned expression forming on her face. Samuel locked hands with his best friend, their cowboy boots crunching against the grass.

"Daddy?" Lucy's voice broke, one hand tentatively reaching for her father. She looked over at her mother. Why wasn't she coming to her rescue?

"Dadd-eeee!" Lucy squealed as Russell jumped from the ground, two strong hands catching them. An all out tickle war ensued.

Angela took in the sights and sounds. The Fabray's came from meager beginnings. The family, like so many generations of farmers in Ohio, struggled yearly to produce enough crops to live on often forcing the boys in the family to grow up too fast and work the farm instead of enjoying their youth. Angela's heart swelled with pride at the devoted husband and father her son became. Both Lucy and Frannie were his pride and joy, anyone that looked at it could tell. But Lucy held that special place in his heart, a miracle born seven years after her sister, a miracle the fertility specialist said wouldn't happen, a miracle that Russell and Judy never took for granted.

Lucy's laughter drifted to an end with a snort, her blonde hair a messy mixture of twigs and pigtails that came loose with the tickle war. Of course the kids were declared victors and Lucy settled into her daddy's lap with Sam at her side as Russell deftly reworked her pigtails.

Angela caught Judy and Russell's attention with a nod. It was time.

Russell easily picked up his little girl with one arm, tucking her securely up against his side. Sam pouted, not wanted to be left out on his cousin's special day. Russell grabbed his nephew, carrying both kids easily to the farmhouse. He let go of the boy at the doorway to the living room. Sam ran over to his mother's waiting arms all the while drooling over the pile of wrapped presents on the living room coffee table.

Angela settled on the piano bench watching Lucy unwrap present after present declaring each one her 'most favoritist in the whole wide world'. When all that was left was a pile of discarded paper, Lucy looked over at her Grandmother with tears in her hazel eyes. She couldn't understand why her Grandparents didn't get her anything.

Angela smiled softly at her. Lucy always wore her emotions on her sleeve. When she was happy, her face would practically split in two with the Fabray smile, laughter clearly dancing in her eyes. When she was sad or confused, she'd withdraw into herself, those same eyes searching endlessly for answers.

"Come here darlin'," Angela spoke softly patting the bench beside her. Lucy shuffled her feet, stalling. She reached one tiny hand out to touch the big wooden musical box that was off limits. Just before her fingers connected she pulled back, looking first to her daddy and then her smiling Nana. Russell picked her up settling in her Nana's lap; the elderly lady beamed at her.

"Lucy. When your great, great, great Nana and Pappy came from the old country many years ago they brought with them this piano." Angela placed Lucy's hand on the ivory keys, smiling at the little gasp that escaped Lucy's lips.

"There's been a tradition in the family. When the second born turns five they inherit this piano. It's been my companion for sixty years and now it is yours. Treat her with respect and she will do amazing things for you." Wide, innocent eyes looked up at her through long lashes. Angela smiled down at granddaughter.

Lucy reached out again, one finger slowly pressing a key.

From that moment on Lucy was inseparable from the piano.

**TBC**

Please review. It only takes a moment.


	2. Chapter 2

Prequel to Born This Way. Lucy Quinn Fabray was the apple of her parents eyes. Considered their miracle child as the only surviving twin born at prematurely at 28 weeks, until a rare neurological disease discovered at age 5 began picking away at the glue that held the family together. With the support of her extended family, Lucy fights to win back control of her body. Co-authored with Oracleismyname.

AN: those that have read the beginning of Born This Way may notice that the beginning of Lucy's illness does not match up with. We have changed the backstory and I will be re-writing parts of BTW to match. Enjoy and please review.

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. No copyright infringement intended.

- thank you!

Croque - I know you have. Your reviews inspired me to start this story. Lots of new stuff in this prequel.

Guest - why thank you!

Oracleismyname - bwauahahah! You better like this or we are in trouble.

* * *

Chapter 1

It was a bitterly cold day, but bright and sunny. Judy had been having some issues with Lucy and wanted to get her out of the house and doing something fun. The five-year-old had been grumpy because they had been forced to take her to see the optician. They hadn't noticed her struggling to read until a couple of weeks earlier, but it had become apparent when she had been reading a book to Sam that she was squinting at the print and holding the pages very close.

_"Short-sighted?" Russell had looked perplexed when Judy had explained what the optician had told her after the appointment._

_"She needs glasses," Judy explained, secretly thinking that maybe this was related to Lucy being premature; they had warned her about developmental issues. Maybe this was one of them. In all other respects Lucy was thriving, apart from being a little underweight._

_"Well I guess that's not the end of the world," Russell responded._

Lucy had been less pleased because her habit of burying her head in a book now met with her new glasses slipping down her nose, so she took them off several times only to have Frannie tell on her. She scowled at her elder sister and perfected the look of dislike with an eyebrow quirked in disappointment.

Judy wouldn't let her read or watch TV without them on until she got used to them and it was no longer a big deal.

Sam thought it was funny which made Lucy mad. He was such a tease sometimes. She stood and folded her arms in a huff when he stole them and put them on himself, upside down, and made his eyes cross. She watched her cousin looking ridiculous and couldn't be mad at him for long.

"You are such a dork, Samuel!" She used his full name which annoyed him as that was what his Mom called him when he was in trouble.

He poked his tongue out.

"Give them back or I will tell Frannie and she will get you," Lucy stomped her foot.

Sam quickly handed them back over.

That morning was the nicest day they had in weeks. The weather had turned colder but the dull grey cloud had gone alone with the rain that had plagued them for the previous weeks.

Judy called Mary up and asked if she wanted to take Sam to the playground in the park for a couple of hours and her sister-in-law thought it was a great idea. Fresh air was inexpensive and money wasn't always as abundant in the Evans family as it was in the Fabray household.

They went, along with an unhappy Frannie, who was considered too young to stay on her own but was too old to play on the climbing frame and swings that so excited Sam and Lucy.

The youngsters made a dash for the slide and left their respective mothers' sat on a park bench watching intently. Frannie had her iPod plugged in and was reading a teenage magazine, ignoring everyone and everything.

Judy glanced at her elder daughter. "Frannie?" she attracted the teenager's attention. "Why don't you go and play with them?"

She rolled her eyes in response. "How old do you think I am?" she responded and replaced the earphones immediately.

Mary gave her sister-in-law a sympathetic smile. At least the age difference between the two girls meant they wouldn't be going through the teenage years together.

Sam ran from the end of the slide to the swings that had just been freed up by some other children and called his cousin to join him.

Mary looked over and saw him going quite high, encouraging the smaller blonde girl to do likewise.

"Sam! Not so high!" She called out to him.

He sort of slowed a little but then when he saw his mother continue her conversation with Aunt Judy, he sped up again, going higher and higher. He eventually got bored and let himself slow before jumping off and landing on both feet with a thud.

Not wanting to be outdone by her bigger cousin, Lucy copied him and landed similarly, just as her mother happened to glance up. Judy's mouth fell open at the sight of her youngest flying through the air briefly, pig-tails flying and landing so hard she fell forwards onto her hands and knees. Judy's heart flipped momentarily, expecting the little girl might have hurt herself, but she simply pushed her glasses back up her face and ran towards the monkey bars. Judy released her breath and called out to Lucy.

"Lucy, be careful with your glasses."

Lucy looked up at her Mom and grinned, taking off the glasses and running to her. "I don't need them to play, there's nothin' to read." She explained in her five-year-old logic.

"You are supposed to wear them all the time," her mother scolded. "And the word is pronounced noth-ing."

"Sorry, Mommy." She slipped the glasses back on her face and ran back to Sam, who was climbing up the ladder to the monkey bars. He gripped on and his legs kicked as he swung from one to the next.

"I'm going to beat you," he called out to Lucy. "Girls are so slow."

"No you aren't," she replied climbing up after him. "Girls are just as good as boys, only smarter." She poked her tongue out as she gripped the first bar and let her legs drop. She copied Sam as she often did. He was a little more adventurous and curious, but she was determined and a fast learner.

He had quite a lead over her, but she swung to the next bar, only as she did, a funny feeling ran down her left leg. Lucy didn't know what it was, but she paused to look down at her leg. She was suspended from one rung with her arms up over her ears. She reached for the next bar, but as she did, the funny feeling shot from her spine into both legs and made her cry out in pain. The surprise made her let go of the bar and she dropped to the ground eighteen inches below.

She screamed in pain, the sound like a wounded animal. Her legs were on fire, literally burning with pain. Sam heard her and dropped to the ground. He stood for a moment, not knowing what to do, horrified at the sight of Lucy lying twisted on the ground. Adults suddenly started to move, including Judy and Mary. Even Frannie had heard the scream and removed her earphones before darting over once she realized her sister was the one in pain.

A young father with sandy hair went to pick Lucy up, but realizing he was about to move her Mary yelled at him.

"Don't touch her!" The command in her voice was authoritative but also gave away a little panic. "Please, don't move her, I'm a nurse." They hadn't seen Lucy fall directly but the scream had been sufficient for them to realize the girl was in trouble.

Judy was unable to speak, breathing heavily as she sprinted to her baby's side.

"Lucy, baby. Mommy's here. Everything's going to be fine."

Mary looked at the way Lucy had fallen. Her glasses had fallen off and were lying beside her. Lucy had curled into a ball and was making a strange wailing noise, but it was only her upper body that had moved.

"Mommy!" She cried out when she heard Judy arrive. "My legs are burning."

Judy moved to straighten them out, but found her sister-in-law holding her arm to prevent it. "Judy, wait a minute please." The voice this time was soft and calming. "Lucy, honey? I need you to tell me what happened."

"I fell," she replied, huge great sobs came from the tiny chest and tears rolled down her cheeks.

Sam suddenly came back to life. "She was just swinging," he mumbled to his mom.

The sandy-haired man had been watching his toddler on the slide when it happened. "She was fine one minute and then stopped. I thought she was maybe getting tired and was going to jump off, then she just dropped to the ground and sort of…" he tried to find the right word, "I don't know, crumpled as she hit the matting." He shook his head at the thought of the scream that had come from the little girl.

The other adults had started to gather the children and move them away. Some of the children were curious, some worried and others became distressed because of Lucy's wailing.

The man spoke up again. "There was no one else near her."

"I know," Judy replied. "Thank you, but I know what happened; we were watching. Mary?" She looked questioningly at her husband's sister.

"I'm not sure yet. Lucy, can you wiggle your toes for me?" Mary watched Lucy's face become even more distressed as she tried to comply.

"Owwwww," she cried again, her face was resting on her arms, which in turn were folded on the rubberized surface of the playground, her torso twisted.

"Can you move your legs, honey?" Mary asked her gently, "just a little bit for me."

The blonde hair shook side to side as Lucy tried and failed to move.

Mary looked a little ashen as she made eye-contact with Judy. "I'm going to call the paramedics."

-Glee-

"We need a spinal series and possibly Solu-Medrol. Ma'am, how much does your daughter weigh?"

Judy looked confused. "What?"

"Do you know how much she weighs?" the doctor asked again.

"About thirty-five pounds, why?"

The doctor didn't answer but barked out commands to the rest of the team in the ER. "Okay, that's around eighteen kilos," he said to himself working out how much medication they would give her if it turned out to be what it was looking like. Turning to the rest of the waiting medical team for instructions, he began his introduction. "This is Lucy Fabray, five years old. Possible spinal cord injury from a playground fall. Fall was approximately two feet onto the lower back, landing onto rubber safety matting. No open fractures, no LOC, but we need to check for possible leg injuries before we get the X-ray in here. Pain score is a ten."

Mary stood and watched, Sam was sat with Frannie outside; they didn't need to see this. Russ was on his way but wouldn't be there for some time. Judy was confused.

"How…." Judy wanted to say the words, but nothing came out. "She's never fallen off like that before."

Mary squeezed her hand and prayed. She understood the jargon and so far, nothing she had heard was good news.

-GLEE-

Sam sat on his Nana Angela's floral print couch, swinging his feet against it with a thunk. His cousin, Frannie scowled at him every time his feet collided. She was generally grumpy with him and Lucy, but her attitude had only worsened in the days since Lucy's accident on the playground.

In Sam's mind, his older cousin blamed him for it. If he wasn't so competitive with her then she would have never fallen from the monkey bars.

Sam's lip quivered. He didn't understand it. They'd played on them loads of times before and she'd always been fine.

"Don't you dare cry, dweeb!" Frannie spat at him from her spot next to him on the couch.

Lucy was still in the hospital and neither he nor Frannie had been allowed to see her. His dad dropped him off at his Nana's house, with a small suitcase and his Snoopy toy and he hadn't seen Lucy or his mommy and daddy for almost seven whole days. Frannie was staying overnight too and his Aunt Judy hadn't picked him up from school either. His mommy called every night, but her voice sounded funny.

He wanted to run to his Nana but she looked worse than his mommy did after his other Nana, Nana D, went in to the hospital last year. He never saw her again. His mom told him Nana D was sick and went to live permanently with the angels. Last night when he was supposed to be asleep but he couldn't drop off he missed his cousin too much, he heard his Nana Angela in the kitchen talking on the phone. He'd snuck into her big kitchen hoping she would give him a warm glass of milk and read to him. He couldn't read yet but Lucy was starting and he missed the way she bounced up and down, her eyes shining brightly as she flipped through her books, telling him stories of a dragon slaying prince and princesses with long golden hair, just like Lucy's hair that always glimmered in the sun. The prince always looked like him and any princess had to look like her.

Nana's back was to him and she was shaking. He thought maybe she was laughing and he wanted to laugh with her too, the sound was sorely missed recently. Sam hated it when everyone was so serious, but then he heard her sniffle into the phone and heard Lucy's name. He smiled in anticipation because he really wanted to talk to her and maybe Nana would let him. He figured Nana Angela was crying because she was talking to Lucy even though it was way past their bedtime and Lucy was always cranky if she didn't get enough sleep.

Just when he was going to ask if he could talk to her, she whispered Children's Hospital, her voice sounding funny like his mommy's and Sam froze. He felt funny and his mouth tasted like the cotton ball he tried to eat in Preschool. He didn't know what a children's hospital was but his Nana D went into a hospital to become an angel and maybe a children's hospital was where kids went to become an angel too.

He snuck back to his bedroom before his Nana could scold him for being awake.

He didn't want Lucy to become an angel because she was a princess and angels went away forever.

-GLEE-

It had been three months since the fall on the playground. The doctors in Belleville were out of their league when MRI's had shown no bone damage to the five-year-old's spine, yet Lucy was paralyzed. Her body wracked with so much pain and when she wasn't in pain, she wasn't able to feel anything at all below her waist. She'd been transferred to Cleveland and when the doctors there hadn't been able to solve the mystery of what was causing Lucy's legs to not function anymore, they'd referred to her more specialists this time in another state.

She missed her cousin and sister, her friends in kindergarten. Sometimes her grandparents visited, but never at the same time as her aunt and uncle. Lucy was too sick to be comforted by the love poured out from her family. Now she was flying back to Ohio, the doctors in Missouri having done everything they could for her.

Lucy's head bounced against her daddy's shoulder as the plane hit turbulence in preparation for its final approach into Columbus Airport. She'd taken refuge in her daddy's arms shortly after liftoff from the St. Louis airport caused fire to ignite in her spine. She bit the inside of her lip until it bled with each jostle. Not even the morphine she'd been giving when the transport van left the hospital to take them to the airport, helped with the pain. She pulled the stuffed lamb tighter against her chest. Her thumb found its way into her mouth. Russell gently pulled it out not wanting his five year old to fall back into that habit.

"Sir?" The flight attendant spoke softly in the packed cabin next to him. "She's going to need to be in her own seat for the landing.

Russell looked over the mop of blonde hair pressed against his chin at the airplane seat beside him. "Lucy. I'm going to put you down now."

"No Daddy, please." She sobbed, her face scrunching up in pain when he shifted her.

"Lucy, I'm sorry sweetie."

She cried out when the plane landed, coming down hard on the runway, her Daddy's arm firmly pressed across her chest keeping her upright. By the time the plane emptied of the other passengers, her head had slipped off his shoulder again in exhausted sleep.

Russell ignored the airline's transfer chair as an attendant rolled up the aisles towards them. There was no way he was waking his little girl. Reaching over her, he grabbed the fuzzy pink blanket that at some point in the flight had managed to slip to the floor.

Turning, he handed the blanket and the novel he hadn't been able to focus on to Judy before gently lifting his baby girl into his arms. A small sigh replaced the grimace as Lucy's arms tightened around his neck. Her head found its resting spot on his strong shoulder, the lamb still stuck firmly in her grip.

When he finally reached the concourse, another airline employee waited for them with his girl's wheelchair. He hated it; hated that she needed it. He glanced over at Judy, the past months had been intense and all they wanted was to crawl into their own bed and sleep the pain away.

Lucy let out a little snore next to his ear and his heart swelled with pride. She was scared out of her mind, in constant pain from nerves misfiring, but remained brave throughout. He made the decision to forgo the wheelchair. She was finally getting some much needed sleep. His little girl barely weighed anything having lost so much weight recently. The three hour flight had taken more out of her than they expected.

As he bypassed the chair, Judy sprang into action, unlocking the brakes and thanking the attendant. The hallway leading to the arrival gate was surprisingly clear so he set a lazy pace, letting Lucy sleep in his arms.

"Dwight just text me. They finally found a parking spot large enough for the van." Judy said as they stopped just around the corner from the exit into the crowded concourse. "They're headed to luggage now."

"I'll stop by the DMV with the paperwork and get the disabled parking pass tomorrow." His voice caught on the word. It tasted like acid to him. Together they worked as a finely oiled team, Russell placing Lucy in the chair. Lucy's shirt rode up a little and Judy steadfastly ignored the ribs that stuck out beneath transparent skin; the course of medicines their little girl was taking wreaked havoc on their daughter's stomach. If she thought too hard on it, she would break down and they couldn't afford that. The shirt was smoothed down and the seatbelt tightened around the thin waist.

Lucy hadn't woken during the transfer which relieved and worried Russell. They were still adjusting to being caretakers instead of parents and he fought against himself more times than not, to keep from waking her every few minutes to make sure she was still okay. She slumped in the chair, her daddy's loving hand on her shoulder keeping her from toppling forward, blissfully lost in sleep finally.

Frannie waited impatiently beside her Uncle Dwight. They were coming home today. She'd barely seen her mother or father in months. Every few weeks one or the other of them would show up over the weekend and then leave again after sending her off to school on Monday morning. She hadn't seen them together since that fateful day three months earlier. Despite the attitude she showed the world, she missed Lucy.

Her uncle took her hand; at thirteen that was embarrassing, but she was nervous so she didn't pull away in anger. She caught sight of her mother first. The woman looked haggard but smiled at her, speeding up in the crowded concourse. Frannie was pulled roughly into a bone crunching hug and felt her mother take a shuddering breath against her hair.

Frannie just wanted to see that her sister really was alive. Her Aunt and Uncle tried to explain what was going on to her but Frannie couldn't understand how the doctors couldn't figure out what was causing her sister's paralysis. She couldn't wrap her adolescent mind around it, doctors were supposed to know everything. Truthfully, neither could the adults. Not even her Aunt Mary, a trained nurse, understood it.

"Hey, Lucy Q." She heard her Uncle speak softly next to her and tried to shrug out of her mom's suffocating embrace to see her sister. It wasn't working.

"Judy dear, Frannie needs to breathe." Her father's rich voice broke through the noisy airport.

"Oh." Her mother squeaked, holding her out at arm's length. Frannie shifted nervously under her mother's scrutiny. After a moment, Frannie rolled her eyes, Judy chuckled and let go to step out of the way.

Lucy didn't look like Lucy, and Frannie decided that the girl in front of her wasn't her sister. Her sister was vibrant, full of energy and life. The sick little girl, slumped over in a wheelchair was none of that.

Judy pushed her closer to the chair. Frannie stalled but one final shove had her moving forward. Her dad squeezed her hand sympathetically.

"Stay with your sister while we grab the bags." The three adults moved the few feet to grab bags full of medical supplies and the suitcases they'd been living out of for three months.

Frannie wanted to protest that she couldn't do this but her dad simply called out form the conveyor belt that everything would be okay.

Frannie scowled at an old man staring at her sister and stepped closer to her. Finally, with a frustrated growl at the people around them, she tentatively pushed against her sister's chest until she sat more upright. A soft moan escaped sleepy lips, the stuffed lamb dropped to the ground with a loud plop.

She and her sister fought like cats and dogs, frustration with each other always lacing their voices. The weak voice that whispered "Frannie" was not her sister's. Lucy squinted at her, behind glasses, then the ground trying to reach the lamb. Frannie watched frustration and anger replace the pain on Lucy's face before morphing into tears. She bent down and grabbed the stuff animal, quickly shoving it into her sister's hand as the adults came back lugging several suitcases.

"See. Everything's fine." Russell clapped his oldest on the back. Frannie wondered if everything would ever be fine again.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Prequel to Born This Way. Lucy Quinn Fabray was the apple of her parents eyes. Considered their miracle child as the only surviving twin born at prematurely at 28 weeks, until a rare neurological disease discovered at age 5 began picking away at the glue that held the family together. With the support of her extended family, Lucy fights to win back control of her body. Co-authored with Oracleismyname.

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. No copyright infringement.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Once reunited, the family started to settle into a routine and yet they found that almost everything they did depended on how Lucy was feeling at any particular moment. Still, they tried, with some success, to return to their previous sense of normalcy. Frannie attended her after school art club. It helped the elder sister remain occupied. The neighborhood had pitched in and filled their fridge but they soon ran out, and Judy, facing no choice had to make a run to the grocery. Russell was still at work having returned for an important meeting; Frannie was busy with her after school activities and would catch the late bus.

Mary offered to lend a hand, as she too needed to make a grocery run, but Judy felt this was something she and Lucy needed to do on their own. Her little girl was so attached to her father that she wasn't coping with Russell's infrequent returns to work and Judy felt that some mother-daughter time outside the house was needed.

Lucy, though tired, was excited about the adventure. It took a little work to situate Lucy in her special car seat, Judy was not nearly as strong as Russell, but they were soon on their way. Belleville being as tiny as it was meant that they weren't in the car long. She pulled into the parking lot and nearly skipped the small section for disabled parking, but common sense kicked in. She needed the extra space, not to mention trying to push a full cart and her daughter through the parking lot.

"Luce are you ready?" Judy asked after she'd assembled the wheelchair and pulled it up next to van door. The blonde child had already unfastened the seatbelt of her car seat and held up her arms for her mommy to lift her; the lamb was clutched tightly in one fist. Judy simply chuckled not surprised at all by the stuffed toy, as Lucy liked to inform them that Lamby was family so of course he was going to the store with her. He went into the pack on the backrest with his head sticking out. Judy patiently showed Lucy that Lamby was secure and could breathe before replacing the pack and pushing the chair towards the door.

The downside of such a small town was that Judy kept being stopped every few minutes by someone or another that knew the family. Lucy soaked up all the attention like sponge smiling wildly at them. Judy shuddered at the thought that her daughter was going to break some hearts someday with that smile.

Judy alternated between pushing Lucy ahead of her while pulling the cart behind her and walking extremely slowly as Lucy nudged the wheels forward herself. She tried to entice Lucy pointing out the girls favorite foods, after all what five year old didn't like macaroni and cheese? Yet Lucy shook her head negatively every time. The girl's stomach was wrecked from all the different medicines she now took. Judy was able to distract her by giving her the shopping list and Lucy was able to sound out a few of the items and would smile up at her mom proud of herself. The good mood lasted until Judy turned down the baby aisle, Lucy started to tantrum, even as Judy gushed over how cute Arial was and Minnie's red ribbon on the pull-ups. Lucy wanted nothing to do with them.

Finally Judy leaned down close to her daughter, they had drawn a crowd and some kids Frannie's age were in stitches while pointing at Lucy.

"If you stop crying we can visit daddy at his office." Judy had no intention of taking Lucy thirty-minutes away to Russell's workplace, the girl would be asleep before Judy could reverse out of her parking spot, but she knew the bribe would work to stop Lucy's crying. Lucy didn't stop crying, but she quieted down. Judy hurried them through the checkout even accepting the bagger's offer to push her cart to the car. The pull-ups were purchased at a later time.

The tantrum in the store was forgotten until a few days later when Judy found herself comforting her oldest daughter.

Judy Fabray brushed the curly dirty blonde hair away from her eldest daughter's forehead lightly so as not to wake the sleeping girl. Russell and Judy thought Frannie was coping as well as she could until she came home angry. She slammed the front door shut and ran through the house knocking into Lucy's wheelchair. If it hadn't been for the belt holding the little girl, who'd just started to doze, she would have tumbled out of the chair onto the hardwood floor.

Frannie had barely slowed down. Instead, the teenager cussed at Lucy, and finished storming off to her bedroom. That door, too, had slammed shut, followed by the lock clicking into place. Startled, Lucy started crying, which led to hyperventilating. Lucy had been so exhausted from her tears, that she'd slept most of the afternoon. They hadn't been able to keep her awake long enough to eat, but Judy had been able to feed her a nutritional shake. It seemed that the little girl was living off the shakes lately.

The next day wasn't any better, though Frannie did apologize to Lucy for her behavior.  
The third day was the breaking point for Francine Fabray and subsequently the rest of the Fabray family. Her family had gone through so much in the last few months, and those Neanderthals at her school thought they knew. They didn't know anything. They didn't hear her little sister crying out in pain in the middle of the night. They didn't hear Lucy's screams of frustration when her mother had to force food down Lucy's throat, only for it to come back up. All they saw was someone they could make fun of and torment.

Frannie didn't slam through the house like the previous two afternoons when she came home. Judy watched from the porch as the yellow school bus stopped at the beginning of the cul de sac, letting loose mostly elementary school and a few middle school children.  
Judy was sitting on the porch swing, Lucy beside her in the wheelchair, dozing from her afternoon medications. She stood up when the very familiar curls of Francine emerged from the bus. Immediately, she knew something was wrong. Her older daughter normally carried herself with an air of angry defiance to protect herself from the harsh words of the kids around her.

The teenager that was walking towards her from the bus stop had her shoulders slumped, her head tilted towards the ground. Frannie moped up the stairs and had the screen door open before she became aware of her sister and mother sitting on the porch. Judy saw the scowl form instantly when Francine took in Lucy's slumped position in the wheelchair, but Frannie also had tears streaming down her face. They only intensified when Lucy woke up, seeing her older sister, whom she adored though would never admit, standing in front of her and held out her arms wide for a hug.

Judy watched as the teenager crumpled into her little sister, clutching the sick girl to her, then frantically started unstrapping Lucy from the wheelchair, before pulling her onto the swing. Hugging her tightly, Frannie's sobs echoed in the afternoon air. Russell found all three of them huddle on the porch swing, not a dry eye to be found.

That had been hours earlier and Judy now began to extract herself from Frannie's grip. It had taken a lot of coaxing to get the girl into the house and to her bedroom.

Judy tucked the blanket around her daughter, smiling down on Lucy's little lamb tucked underneath Frannie's chin. Lucy had insisted that her sister take it, throwing a fit until with typical teenage fashion - a roll of the eyes and a scoff about being too old for stuff animals - the lamb was passed from one sister to the next.

Judy now made her way through the darkened house, glancing in Lucy's room, as she went. The bed was empty, but still messed up from Lucy's napping earlier in the day. She moved down the stairs and into the den, the old floors creaking underneath her feet as she walked.

The front porch light was on and she headed towards the door, noticing the empty wheelchair in the front hallway. The hinges protested in the cool night air as she peeked her head around.

Russell sat on the swing, Lucy resting on his lap, her head tucked into the crook at his neck, her eyes barely open, but still trying to fight off sleep. The swing moved gently with the breeze. Judy grabbed an extra throw blanket from the hall closet and padded out on to the porch. She wrapped the blanket around Lucy, who barely stirred, and gently kissed the baby soft blonde locks.

Russell pulled her gently into his side, tucking her shoulder under his armpit. Judy's hand rested on Lucy's legs, before pulling them up across her lap, settling deeper into her husband's side. The gentle thumping of his heart beat against her ear worked wonders to soothe her frayed nerves.

"What was that about?" Russell whispered while nodding towards the house. He squeezed Judy's hand. "Is Frannie going to be okay?"

Lucy shifted slightly, tucking tighter against him, but still drifted in that half awake and half asleep place.

"Hmm." Judy fought the tears back. "Some of Francine's classmates saw me at the grocery with Lucy." Judy finally whispers. "They've evidently been calling Lucy awful names in Frannie's presence at school."

Russell stiffened, before dropping a kiss on Lucy's hair. Frannie and Russell's relationship had always been a little rough; whereas Lucy made him turn into jelly in the space of a heartbeat. It was sickening sweet to Judy and she didn't know if his body posture was stiffening for what Frannie went through, or for what the teenagers called their youngest.  
"I don't want to know." He finally said.

"No." Judy agreed with him. If she repeated a fraction of what her oldest daughter told her the kids had said, Russell would go through the roof. It was better that he didn't know the specifics.

"Teenagers can be so ruthless."

"Mommy?" Lucy's voice broke into the silence that had settled on the family, the swing still gently rocking them back and forth.

"Yes, baby?"

"I make Frannie sad and cry." Lucy stated it just like she knew it to be true.

After a moment to recover from her little girl's insight, Judy shook her head.

"No honey, you don't," Judy tried to calm her little one.

Lucy scrunched her face, her blonde locks swinging back and forth as she shook her head no, before relaxing back into Russell's arms.

"Don't tell fibs." The five year old whispered. "I make you and daddy sad too."

-GLEE-

Sam and Lucy were upstairs in her room playing while their moms were downstairs in the kitchen. Well, Sam was currently playing. Lucy was trying not to fall asleep; her head would bob every so often. The lamb was tucked under her chin. Sam really wanted to play with his cousin. He'd only seen her a couple times since they came home the week before, but all she did was sleep when he was there.

Sam glanced around the room. In the corner was the weird looking thing that they fastened Lucy into so she could stand up. Her bed was gone, replaced with the kind he'd had when his tonsils were removed and he'd been in hospital. At least hers had her soft blankets and not the itchy ones the hospital had. He drifted over to the wheelchair and poked the tire on it. He'd seen her in it a few times, but he still didn't understand why she needed it now. Usually one of the adults pushed her with the tall handles at the back. He tilted his head sideways and then poked at the seat cushion watching the indentation slowly disappear. It was soft on top, but firm underneath which also puzzled him. He thought it would be like a big spongy sofa cushion, but it wasn't.

He tipped the chair back a little with the handle. Maybe he could do one of those wheelie things. It couldn't be that hard. He didn't realize it had anti-tip brackets at the back to prevent unexpected wheelies. He glanced back at his cousin, propped up in bed, with her head bobbing trying not to sleep. Well, if she wasn't going to play then he was going to make his own fun. He jumped into the seat, forgetting to be quiet.

Sitting in it, he found it was like chairs at school. He couldn't relax; it made him sit very upright. Tentatively he reached for the wheels as he remembered how Lucy did it. He pushed the wheels forwards and it rolled straight towards the bed. He was caught off guard by how quickly it rolled and grabbed the wheels to stop it. Gently he pulled back on them and rolled away from the bed to give him more room. He pulled one wheel and pushed the other, turning steadily on the spot. His eyes went wide and he repeated it quicker, making himself slightly dizzy. Finally he tried the wheelie, leaning back and pulling the wheels backwards.

Nothing happened.

Well he rolled backwards a bit, but no wheelie happened.

He tried again, pulling back harder and becoming a bit frustrated when it simply rolled back faster. "Stupid wheelchair," he mumbled.

Hearing his voice, Lucy cracked open her eyes, which went wider when she saw Sam.

"You are such a dork."

"I am not a dork," he argued. "I was trying to do a wheelie but it doesn't work."

"You are doing it wrong, dummy!" She thought about telling him how, but her daddy would be cross if they broke it. He kept saying it wasn't a toy.

She called him a dummy which he didn't like so he strode up to the bed and yanked the lamb out from under her chin; her head flopped down from its lack of support.

"Hey," Lucy mumbled trying to figure out what just happened. She spotted Sam near her knees torturing her stuffed lamb.

Sam pulled the lambs legs out into the splits. Teasing her with it, he shoved it in her face then quickly pulled it back when she reached for it wiggling it at her mockingly.

"Hey! That's mine!" Lucy yelled. Sam laughed pulling the lamb farther away, taunting her with it. "GIVE IT BACK!" Lucy threw her shoulders forward effectively lunging for the lamb.

Downstairs Judy almost dropped the kitchen knife at her daughter's screeching yell that filled the whole house.

Mary laughed while stealing a glance at her sister-in-law. "Well it's good to know that her lungs still work."

Judy was quiet then after a moment grinned. "That they definitely do."

Mary motioned to the ceiling. "Want me to check it out?"

Judy listened, it was silent now. "Nah, it's nice to have some normalcy back." Then she focused on chopping the tomatoes for their salad to keep the tears at bay, a moment later she sat the knife down. Her hands were shaking too badly to continue.

"Hey," Mary noticed and placed her hand over Judy's squeezing it slightly. "She's going to be okay. All of you are."

Judy just stared at Mary's hand on her own for a moment, before pulling her hand out and tucking her hair behind her ear. It was still hard to believe that anything would be okay. She moved off to the pantry.

Upstairs Sam was staring in shock at his cousin. He hadn't expected her to move so fast.

Lucy grunted from her position on the bed, now folded in half, her upper body had slumped forwards at the hips and was now resting on her legs, the lamb clutched in her right hand. She'd forgotten in her desire for the lamb what the physical therapists told her about keeping her balance while leaning forward; she had just wanted her lamb back. Now she was stuck though. She dropped her head onto her knees for a second, feeling the lambs soft fur on her forehead.

Sam looked on helplessly as she tried to get her arms under her and push herself back up. He couldn't understand why she didn't just sit up. He glanced into the hallway wondering if he should get his mom or aunt.

Lucy grunted, drawing his attention back. She was pushing down against the mattress and her arms straightened a little, but the weight of her upper body was pushing down. Her shoulders moved up but her lower back didn't rise and kept her from sitting up.  
"Um, do I need...? What do I do?" He stumbled over his words then didn't give her a chance to reply and yanked the lamb out of her hand. He wasn't trying to take it, just move it out of the way.

"Hey!" Lucy grumbled, feeling her stuffed companion pulled away again.

Sam seeing her reach for it, pushed it into her chest. He still didn't understand why she didn't just sit up.

Both five year-olds were startled as she fell forwards again; she was stuck. Sam bit his lip, hands frozen in the air, concern clearly evident in his furrowed brow.

Tears formed suddenly, Lucy's legs were on fire from all the movement. Frankly it scared her; she still didn't understand what was going on with her body. She drew in a deep breath and yelled out for her Mom to come and help. "Mo-ommy, help!"

Hearing the plea from her daughter, Judy dropped the canned goods she was carrying sending them rolling into all corners of the kitchen at the panicked high note. She locked eyes with Mary for a brief second before sprinting towards the den, Mary hot on her heels.

As both woman tore through the hallway and up the stairs, Sam ran past them in the opposite direction; his hands covering his ears, tears in his eyes as he went down the hall and out the front door. It banged loudly, rattling the windows.

Mary paused, torn between checking on her niece and going after her son. It only took a second before she headed up the stairs after Judy. Dwight was home, he would take care of Sam until she made sure Lucy was okay.

A moment later she burst through the door and bumped into Judy's back. Mary peered around the woman, who seemed to be trying not to laugh. It only took a second to realize what had happened.

She patted Judy on the shoulder. "You rescue Lucy; I'll go check on Sam." She turned back towards the door.

"You seem to be in a pickle, Lucy," Judy chuckled, starting towards her daughter who was still trying to push herself upright again. "Do you remember what the therapist told you?"  
Lucy shook her head and paused trying to think; they had told her a lot.

"Okay," Judy was so tempted to just pull her daughter up and into a hug, but she had the therapist's words in her ear. It was easy for parents of disabled children (she hated the use of that term in relation to her daughter), to fall into the trap of doing everything for the child and not letting them get out of trouble themselves. Independence was the goal for Lucy, (why wasn't it walking she wondered?) "You have to suck in your tummy to arch your back and then push."

Lucy did what her Mommy said and sucked in her tummy as best she could. Her back arched instead of bowed now and with Judy just helping to prevent her weight from pushing down too much, Lucy raised her shoulders and rolled back upright again.  
She was a little breathless from the effort and recognizing this, Judy handed Lucy her inhaler.

"Take a puff, darling. You'll feel better soon." The woman looked around the room, suddenly wondering what had gone on to cause all this in the first place. Lucy's wheelchair was most of the way across the room instead of beside the bed. "You want to tell me what happened?" Judy already suspected horseplay with Sam but wanted Lucy to explain it to her.

"Sammy was being silly and trying to do wheelies," she pointed at the chair. "I called him a name and he started teasing me and took my lamb." Her big eyes were still a little teary as she explained. "I snatched it back from him an' I fell." She sniffed loudly as she finished. "Sorry I made a fuss but I was stuck."

"What name did you call him?" Judy asked without getting angry.

Lucy hung her head. "Dummy," she replied quietly.

Judy stood and had to be firm, no matter her daughter's predicament. "Lucy, that's not a nice thing to say to anyone. I don't want to hear you use names like that again. How would you feel if someone called you names?"

"Sorry, Mommy."

"You need to say sorry to Sam. He shouldn't be messing around with your chair, but he wasn't doing any harm. Promise me you'll apologize."

"I promise."

Dwight and Russell were leaning against the kitchen counter, blueprints and building plans spread out on the work surface.

Russell was frowning deeply at it. "I guess taking part of the den and expanding out would work if we have to." He didn't sound happy. He wasn't happy. It's not like he cared that the den would lose a third of its size to build a bedroom and accessible bathroom on the first floor. He could care less about the den, though he put his foot down about making the whole den Lucy's new room. He wouldn't have all of Frannie's friends traipsing through Lucy's room to use the stairs. No, Russell didn't sound happy because it was the fact that they were even discussing modifications on such a level. In his mind, Lucy would be fine in a matter of days, weeks even. He was in denial and the doctors not knowing what was going on wasn't helping. This was all a mistake and his little girl would be fine.

Both men jumped when the kitchen door burst open, breaking their contemplation over the building plans.

Sam ran through and up the stairs so fast that it was only the slamming his bedroom door that confirmed anything had happened at all.

Dwight apologized, but Russell brushed him off. He lived in a house full of girls. He was used to tantrums and doors slamming.

A few minutes later he re-emerged and grabbed the kitchen phone, but it rang before he could call his wife. It was Mary. He confirmed that Sam was there and had locked himself in his room.

"Well that's interesting." He told Russell a moment later.

"What's that all about?" Russell looked amused, "I bet it involved one of my girls."

The boy was not prone to temper tantrums. Russell could count on one hand the tantrums he'd witnessed and all of them involved Frannie or Lucy, sometimes both of them.

Dwight shrugged, it didn't sound like Sam was throwing things so he wasn't too concerned. "Mary said she'd explain it when she arrived."

-GLEE-

The alarm clock on her nightstand buzzed annoyingly. Judy Fabray rolled over in bed, one hand snaking its way out of its warm cocoon made by blankets and her husband's arms. The alarm clock cut off suddenly and she pulled her hand back into the bed. Blonde hair settled into her soft pillow, Judy smiled tiredly. Suddenly her eyes shot open realizing that she had actually slept through the night. Panic coursed through her and she rolled quickly out of the bed, landing on her feet next to her nightstand. She flipped on the light next to her bed.

Russell protested, pulling the blankets over his head.

"Judy what?" He mumbled against the cotton material. Realization dawned on him as well and he jumped out of bed. He crossed the room to her nightstand to find her staring into a baby TV monitor.

His large hand found her shoulder and squeezed gently in support. His little girl lay on her hospital bed and it was obvious that she was playing with her lamb content, soft piano music instead of the normal crying drifted through the speaker.

He pulled her into a hug, smiling into her hair. "Do you realize this is the first night she's slept completely through?" The family had been home from St. Louis Children's Hospital for awhile now and the rest that they desperately hoped would come with being in the comfort of their own home was sadly missing.

Lucy wasn't getting stronger like they hoped and their oldest, Francine, was going downhill. They'd been called into the middle school three times already for her behavior. This last time Russell, threatened to send her off to an all girl's boarding school. He expected a fit but instead Frannie had quietly said, 'good', before spinning on her heal and leaving the room.

"I've found a buyer for our season tickets. I hand them over next week." He spoke up, moving away from her to the closet and began pulling out his Cleveland's jersey. "She's doing great this morning. Let's take the girl's to the game."

Judy looked like she was going to protest, then watched the monitor once more. Lucy's giggling could be heard through the monitor. "Okay, but if it gets to be too much, we leave."

Russell finished dressing while Judy headed into the shower. He stopped by Frannie's room. She was buried underneath her covers, headphones stuck in her ears. He winced at being able to hear the music despite the headphones.

"Up. We're going to an Indian's game."

"But Daaad." She whined when he pulled her headphones off.

"No buts. Get dressed Frannie."

He made his way to Lucy's room, wondering about the feasibility of this being a pleasant trip wouldn't end in a fight between the siblings. He opened Lucy's door, flipping on the light. Her giggles trailed off.

"It's just me Pumpkin'." He spoke softly.

"Daddy! I'm not a pumpkin." She called back smiling. Russell grabbed her glasses placing them gently on her face. Lucy lit up when her daddy came mostly into focus.

"You're my pumpkin." He pulled the blanket down to the end of the bed. "We are going to an Indian's game today Luce." He told her to distract her while he worked on undressing her for a bath.

"We are?" She sounded surprised.

"Yep. How's that sound?" He picked up her thin legs, rotating them and stretching them, like they were taught in the hospital, his heart breaking as she cried with each movement. He knew if she could, she'd be squirming away from him.

"Can I have a corn dog daddy?" She whispered through hiccups and sniffles. Barely discernable underneath his strong hands, Russell could feel her muscles trying to respond against his movements.

"Absolutely." He quickly agreed. Lucy never talked about food anymore. So he took it as a good sign that her appetite was improving. "How about Denny's for breakfast? Does that sound good?" He tempted her.

"Uh huh."

"Arms up." He instructed her to wrap her arms around his neck and easily carried her down the hallway to the girl's shared bathroom. Frannie scowled at her little sister as she moved back into her bedroom.

He sat her gently on the bathmat on the floor in front of the tub, keeping her body supported by one strong arm and grabbed the molded bathing seat from behind the toilet and sat it in the tub with the other. While the water filled up, Russell took extra time to examine her skin for sores, he touched a spot on her foot that they'd have to watch closely. Satisfied, he checked the water to make sure it wasn't too hot or cold and gently cradled her in his arms. She was so limp her muscles showing no resistance as he moved her. It was so different from the times when she was younger; she would fall asleep and he'd carry her to her bed. He felt the tears threaten but he wouldn't cry in front of her. Later, when he was alone, he'd cry then.

He strapped her into the molded seating, it reclined with straps for her chest and waist, so he could have freedom to use both his hands. He didn't have to worry about her slipping. He quickly but gently washed her. When he finished, he grabbed her princess toothbrush and quickly coated it. Judy smiled at them from the doorway.

Lucy hummed past the toothpaste, leaving her mouth foamy.

"Want me to finish up so you can start breakfast?" Judy asked watching as her daughter spit into a small bowl. It clanked loudly onto the vanity as Russell sat it before unstrapping Lucy and wrapping her up in a towel.

"I'm getting pancakes and bacon at Denny's!" Lucy spoke up from her position cradled in her daddy's arms.

"Oh you are?" Judy smiled at her. This was the best start to their day that they had in a long time.

"Yeah. Daddy promised."

"Okay." She followed them back into the bedroom. "Luce. Jersey or t-shirt?"

"Can I wear shorts mommy?" It was an innocent question, one that should have been an easy answer but everything was different. Lucy wouldn't be able to tell them if her legs were hot or cold. Russell looked at Judy, the parents carrying on a silent conversation.

"I guess we can lather her in sunscreen. Maybe pack a pair of jeans or her sweats?"  
Judy brought the shorts and jersey over knowing that Lucy's good mood was about to evaporate.

"Okay sweetie. Let's sit you up." The bed was raised to a partially sitting position. Judy helped her into the jersey then quickly combed through Lucy's silky blonde hair, before pulling it up into a ponytail.

Lucy bit her lip, knowing what was next. Judy helped Lucy with her underwear then handed her daughter the shorts. She wasn't capable of dressing herself, but the goal was to have her help. It was met with resistance again.

"No mommy." Lucy tossed the shorts towards the end of the bed.

"Lucy. You know how this works." So far they had yet to get her to actually touch her legs. It was something they were working on with her physical and occupational therapists. They couldn't figure out if she was afraid of her legs or what was going on in her mind.

"No!"

"Do you want to go to the game?"

Lucy bit her trembling lower lip. Her hand searching the bed until it connected with the lamb. She pulled it tight against her chest.

"Oh for Heaven's sake Judy. You can start that tomorrow." Russell grabbed the shorts, gently guiding one leg through the shorts then the other. He worked them up past one hip and then the other. He grinned at her, showing her the red, white and navy blue long socks but her lower lip trembled. Russell steeled himself. She hated wearing socks now and complained that they were squeezing her legs or making them tingle.

A tear left a wet path down Lucy's pale cheek. The little girl hated anyone touching her legs. She didn't understand what was happening to her and why she couldn't walk.

Russell stroked his daughter's cheek, wiping away the tears. As quickly as he could, he guided one non-resistant foot into the sock and then unrolled it up her leg making sure there were no wrinkles. One down, he thought as he grabbed the second sock.

Lucy hiccuped; the lamb stuck in her clenched fist.

Twenty-minutes into the road trip from Belleville to Cleveland, Russell turned into the Denny's in Mansfield. The van came to a stop in a handicap space near the front of the restaurant.

Frannie slid the side door open and climbed over her sister, too eager to escape the confines of the van. At thirteen, she was too cool to be seen with family and this 'forced fun' day at the Cleveland Indian's game was embarrassing. Looking around she saw the parking lot was packed and she could see a line of people waiting in front of the store. Great now everyone would be staring at them! It's like no one had ever seen a kid in a wheelchair before. It was embarrassing. Frannie couldn't wait until the day she could escape Hicksville, Ohio.

Lucy woke up as the van turned off the road into Denny's parking lot. The wheels barely stopped moving before Frannie was elbowing her in the ribs as she climbed over her.

"God Frannie! You could wait until I get out." Lucy yelled after her retreating form.

"Lucy Fabray what did I say about using the Lord's name in vain." Judy scolded, appalled to hear such language coming from her innocent five year old. "And Frannie stop teaching your sister that language."

"Yeah, right. We'd be still out here tomorrow." Frannie bit back, acid lacing her words.

"Francine!" Both the parents yelled at the same time.

Russell shared a look with Judy. The first five miles were spent in silence, Frannie listening to the garbage she called music through her headphones, Lucy regaling them with a fairly complex story of Lamby's adventures last night. Once Russell forced her to turn her music off and participate, the girls started in on each other and were getting worse by the second. "Behave you two."

Lucy bit her lip hard before dropping her head into her hand. Her sister was always being rude and a meanie to her. Russell finished pulling the child-size wheelchair from the back of van. He would deal with his moody teenager later.

"Daddy, carry me?" Lucy begged, sticking out her bottom lip.

"No. You're getting too big Lucy." She was still skin and bones barely weighing 30 pounds since her illness. He could easily carry her all day but she needed to get used to being in the chair or rather get used to being seen in the chair. She didn't complain at home or around her cousin's, just when she was out in the real world and people stared at her. She might only be five, but she knew she had become an object of curiosity.

Russell pushed her towards the entrance, this time the lamb rested on her lap instead of the bag on the back of her chair, some people moved out of their way but others seemed oblivious. Lucy bit her lip watching them watch her.

Russell leaned over placing a sloppy kiss on her forehead to distract her, "How's Lamby? Did he get carsick this time?"

Lucy huffed and tucked her lamb's feet under her all lady-like. "Daaa-deee!," Lucy whined, "you know Lamby is a she! And she doesn't get car sick!"

A very stressful two hours later, Russell pulled the van into the parking lot at Progressive Field. Lucy hummed with excitement, despite her breakfast causing her stomach to hurt. They'd had to stop a few times, she was so excited that she didn't even complain about the wheelchair as Russell fastened her into it. He breathed a sigh of relief. So far his plans of the family having bonding time were still working out okay.

Outside the stadium, Slider, the gigantic fuchsia-colored, furry mascot took notice of Lucy as Russell pushed the chair in front of them. Judy knew if her daughter could, she would have been jumping up and down with excitement. She watched in awe as Lucy's fingers tangled in the mascot's stringy hair, a serious look of concentration replacing the smile that had been present almost all morning. Her daughter's head tilted to the side, eyes closed as her little hand patted and poked at the material. Beside her, Frannie grumbled something inaudible. Judy didn't really want to know what her teenager said. Instead, she pulled out her camera capturing the look of innocent wonder on little Lucy's face.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

***Sorry everyone for the reposting of this chapter. I'm having a few issues with my account and somehow managed to delete the chapter. My sincere apologies.***

Prequel to Born This Way. Lucy Quinn Fabray was the apple of her parents eyes. Considered their miracle child as the only surviving twin born at prematurely at 28 weeks, until a rare neurological disease discovered at age 5 began picking away at the glue that held the family together. With the support of her extended family, Lucy fights to win back control of her body. Co-authored with Oracleismyname.

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. No copyright infringement.

SR940C - yes it is nice to see Judy and Russell as caring parents. I feel for Frannie, it's such a rough age in general. Sam and Lucy together is always a riot. I think you will enjoy some of the chapters coming up.

croque - it broke my heart too.

Lovehorse101 - why thank you. Born This Way is special to me and I am enjoying writing young Lucy and Sam. I planned on expanding the flashbacks from BTW from the beginning, but as I plotted out the backstory, it took on a life of its own. I think the detail changes were much needed. Glad you agree.

Broadwaygirl21 - Little Lucy just makes you want to hug her and cuddle with her!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Sam was looking at the equipment all around the clinic. There were two massive benches with padded tops that were squidgy when you pressed your hand in. He kept making a hand print in the top and then watching as it disappeared gradually.

Lucy was laid out on one of the benches. The physical therapist was stretching her legs, but it was so painful that Lucy was crying. Sam tried to block out his cousins crying and went over to a machine in the corner.

"What's this for?" He asked his Mom.

Mary was distracted briefly from watching the therapist and wondering if they wouldn't't be better off waiting until the pain had subsided more before trying to rehabilitate Lucy. The little girl was in all kinds of discomfort, but especially from her feet and ankles which she described as burning.

"Not now Sam, don't mess around with anything please."

Sam wandered back over to his mother. If he was bored, Frannie looked like she wanted to rip someone's head off. He sat on his mother's knee and watched the look of dismay on his aunt and uncle's faces as Lucy begged the therapist to stop bending her legs. He couldn't't bear the noise and turned his head in towards his mother's ribs, burying himself in her for a while.

Frannie started pacing the room. She looked at the tiny wheelchair that her sister had been sat in for the past couple of weeks and wiped her eyes. It was pink, her favorite color and the wheels looked huge in comparison to the frame. It had pads at the side to hold her upright because she was finding it difficult to sit up without some support. The pain was the major problem. Frannie had always imagined that if you were paralyzed you wouldn't't feel anything, but Lucy seemed to be in all kinds of pain.

There had been some initial novelty about the wheelchair when Lucy had finally been brought home from the hospital. Sam had wanted to push it everywhere, but Lucy had argued that she wanted to push herself. Her arms were so little though and she was weak. Frannie watched as the tiny hands pushed on the tires, her arms too short to reach the push-rims properly. Lucy managed a few pushes, then a pained look crossed the pale features and she grabbed her left leg.

"Owww," her face cracked and tears started.

That had pretty much become their life. Each time Lucy moved or was touched, the pain would come.

Sam slipped back off his perch and moved around the side of the adults until he was on the far side of the bench. He sat for a while staring at his hand print yet again, then edged a bit closer to Lucy's head. Lucy moved her head around, sensing something moving behind her. She saw Sam's face appear.

Russell was about to move the boy away, when he saw Lucy smile a little. Her tiny little neck was strained as she tried to look around at her cousin.

The therapist watched what happened and spotted it as well.

"See Lucy, Sam has come to watch you get better. "

Lucy eyed her cousin and then stuck her tongue out at him. "He's just a nosey parker."

Sam stuck his tongue out in return and Lucy laughed a little, though she was still in pain.

"Am not," Sam replied.

"Are too," Lucy countered.

The therapist gave Russell and Judy a thumbs-up sign as she continued to flex and extend Lucy's legs.

"Sam is Lucy ticklish?"

"Yeah, she's a girl and she squeals if you get her."

"Do not!" Lucy argued. "Boys are stupid."

"Do too, you are so ticklish." Sam reached forwards and dug his fingers into Lucy's armpit.

Lucy did squeal and wriggle a little, mostly her shoulders and she tried to grab Sam's hands. Her right hip also drew up a little on its own, though the left didn't move. "Saaaaaaam!" She made a winey sound.

Judy thought that Sam was doing the wrong thing initially, but it was the first time Lucy had moved any part of her legs since she had fallen ill three months ago.

Sam reached over and tickled Lucy's ribs the next time, with exactly the same reaction from his ailing cousin, only this time her right knee clearly lifted a little more.

The therapist made a movement with her eyes encouraging Sam to carry on, so he did, an evil little grin appearing on his face as he got Lucy again in her ribs. He was careful not to press too hard, but it was definitely making Lucy laugh instead of cry. That time, the therapist waited for Lucy to draw her right leg up and then pushed it further forwards than she had been able to before.

"Owww," Lucy complained but only half-heartedly that time. "Sammie stop it pleeeeeese?"

The therapist got Sam to keep bugging Lucy while she pulled her legs into a bent position and rotated the girl's legs at the hips. He did such a good job, the tears stopped for the most part. Mary pulled out Lucy's stuffed lamb and threw it to Sam. He jumped up and caught it. The therapist took advantage of more distraction to push Lucy's right leg across towards her right hip without even a murmur from her. When she tried it with the left though, Lucy winced noticeably.

The therapist rolled the girl over onto her belly and asked Sam to talk to her. He was in fine teasing mood now though and kept moving the lamb close to Lucy's hand to she would reach for it, then he would pull it away. Meanwhile, the therapist was able to flex Lucy's legs and pull them into a hyperextended position. It was more than they had been able to do with her the day before.

"Okay Sam, you can stop now," the therapist was done stretching. She waved at Frannie to bring the wheelchair closer and turned Lucy back around. "Lucy, we are going to see if you can sit up for me."

The therapist reached forwards towards Lucy's little hands and let the girl take hold. Everyone watched with their breaths collectively held as the small blonde child tried to pull herself into a sitting position. The therapist was offering some help but didn't take all of Lucy's weight and made her put some effort into sitting. Lucy pulled and though she was wobbly at the hips, she managed to get her shoulders up and over her hips. She was still very wobbly as she sat and held on. The therapist turned the little girl's hands down onto the bench so she was supporting herself sitting for the first time.

Even Frannie smiled when they saw that. The therapist kept a hand on Lucy's shoulder so she didn't fall back, but the girl was holding her own.

"Okay let's see if we can get you moving towards your chair. I think I will make Sam give you your toy back if you can shuffle towards it yourself."

Lucy looked uncertain, but followed the instructions. She had a look of discomfort on her face but slid a hand further away from her hip as she was asked. Then pushed her hands down and tried to make her hips move. Not a lot happened, but the therapist tugged on Lucy's shorts and the hips moved along a little. She almost fell backwards, but managed to wiggle herself back upright. She was encouraged to try again and this time she managed to move a couple of inches along. It was slow going in the extreme and nowhere near fast enough to meet the expectations of her family. Sam handed over the lamb a few minutes later and the therapist shifted Lucy from the bench back into the wheelchair, fastening the seat belt afterwards.

Sam continued to bug Lucy and Frannie continued to scowl at them both as the three adults followed the therapist into the office briefly.

"She's making progress but very slowly. The pain is our biggest problem. She wasn't so bad today but yesterday we got nowhere. I'm worried that the more time passes, the less likely we are to move towards ambulation in the short term. Did the doctor give you anything positive about pain management today?"

Judy sniffed and wiped away a tear. "We just seem to get one step forward and then it's two back the next day."

Russell was grinding his teeth almost.

"I don't want to have her in too much pain, because it's exhausting and she wouldn't't be in a good state tomorrow if we did. She did good today though. Let's hope she is comfortable tomorrow and we can go a little further."

Russell went back out to collect the kids and pushed Lucy's wheelchair out to the car, while the rest of the family trailed along after him. He had thought the wheelchair would be a fleeting experience, but with each visit to the physical therapist, it looked more and more likely that it was going to be a long term fixture in their lives.

When they had told him Lucy needed a wheelchair he had been in denial. He figured she just needed time to recover, but it became more obvious as the weeks went by that she wasn't getting much better, even with the early crisis over, her legs were still refusing to move and the pain was getting worse rather than better. The MRI clearly showed a lesion on her spinal cord and that was all the doctors needed to make it clear that whilst the cause of Lucy's illness was somewhat undetermined, the consequences were obvious. She was partially paralyzed and the initial prognosis suggested that there was a real possibility she could be permanently disabled as a consequence.

She had been in the hospital nearly a month before they mentioned Lucy needing her own wheelchair. She had been too sick to leave the bed for the most part, just occasional trips on a gurney for scans, X-rays and blood tests. Mostly she was in her bed, sleeping and crying. Sometimes he and Judy would lift her out of bed and cradle her in their arms in the comfy chair beside the bed. Other times, she was in too much pain to move, so they lay on the bed beside her, trying to get her to rest and heal.

Then the physical therapist provided them with an outline plan to get Lucy up and about, crisis over, they needed to get her walking again as soon as possible, but they were talking months, maybe even more before she would be on her feet and the wheelchair became an inevitability. The specialist was even talking about her needing the wheelchair after she was recovered, maybe indefinitely. Russell shuddered at the thought. No one actually knew for sure she was getting out of the wheelchair at all.

_They brought in brochures to look at from several manufacturers. Pediatric wheelchairs were usually adjustable so as a child grew, it could grow with them. Plus Lucy was newly paralyzed and as she got stronger, her needs would change. They flicked through, but really what they all were hoping was that it wouldn't' get much use._

_The choice was a little limited but they chose the one recommended by the therapist. Russell asked Lucy what color she wanted. She looked at the picture and turned her nose up at the yellow one in the brochure._

_"I want pink," she was insistent._

_Her father checked against the available choices and grinned when he found what he was looking for. "Pink it is then," he agreed._

_When it arrived, Lucy protested._

_"I don't want it," her bottom lip had trembled. _

_"I know baby, but we can't keep carrying you everywhere. Until your legs get better we need it for you to go places. When you get better, you might not need it anymore, but for now it will help. You'll be able to go to the playroom with the other children." Judy had been praying Lucy would just accept it without argument. The sooner she was out of bed, the sooner they could get back home and be a family again. She was worried about Frannie being separated from them. _

_"Let's give it a try shall we?" The therapist put on a big smile. He was very good with Lucy, but she was often unhappy because of the stabbing pain in her feet and calves._

_He lifted Lucy's upper body and pivoted her around so she was sat on the bed, her legs sticking straight out in front of her looking much thinner than they were a couple of weeks ago. He slid her forwards and then rotated her from the bed to the wheelchair, ignoring her protest of discomfort. Once she was in, he adjusted the arm rests and the push handles at the back, fastened the strap around her waist and took her for a little ride around the room. Once she was in the wheelchair, Lucy was actually happier than she had been in bed. They pretended for her that it was car or a train, anything but reminding her that it was a replacement for her legs._

Russell lifted her from the wheelchair and into the special car seat, the booster cushion she had graduated to before her illness was in the garage, useless, much like he felt himself at that particular moment in time. They were all feeling useless.

Lucy was exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately. She was sleeping a lot anyway, but after the physical therapy sessions, she was out of it straight away. At home, the now familiar routine of unloading the wheelchair and getting Lucy out wasn't quite so bad. She knew it would hurt but then after a minute or so of being stationary in the chair, the pain would lessen again for a while.

-GLEE-

Lucy sat, tucked into the corner of the couch, her lamb resting on her lap. Her Nana Angela sat on the bench playing the Mozart piece she'd been learning months earlier. She wanted to join her on the piano bench.

Mary watched her niece as she sat near her on Nana Angela's couch. The family was relaxing in the living room after their traditional Sunday lunch. Her niece wasn't getting stronger despite the cocktail of medicines her doctor had the little girl on. She didn't want to play, she seemed lost in her own world. The temper tantrums were starting to take it's toll. Mary didn't blame her. She'd probably throw temper tantrums too if the situations were reversed.

"What were you thinking?" Russell's angry voice drifted into the living room from behind the closed dining room door.

"Keep your voice down." Judy hissed back.

"We can't afford water therapy!" The sound of papers being slammed onto the dining room table caused everyone to jump. Lucy's lip quivered, her thumb finding its way into her mouth. Nana Angela switched to a ragtime, the piano increasing in volume.

"You heard the Doctor's, Russell! She's in so much pain because her nerves are trying to work. Water therapy is the best way to keep her legs strong without increasing her pain." Judy's voice rose.

"I heard them! Insurance won't cover it." Russell bit back, slamming his hands on the table again.

"Oh so you just want Lucy to be stuck in that wheelchair for the rest of her life!"

Mary watched Frannie get up from the floor and storm out of the living room. A moment later the back door slammed shut.

Beside her, Lucy's shoulder's sagged. "Everyone hates me now. All they do is fight." Mary had to strain to hear the words her niece whispered around her thumb.

Dwight came over and as gently as possible lifted his niece into his lap. He nudged the wheelchair farther away from the couch. They didn't need its reminder of how life can change in an instant. Before long Sam climbed up in between them, grabbing his cousin's hand. Mary pulled him into a hug humming a nursery rhyme.

"Of course not but neither of us have had income in months. I can only take in so many clients. And unless we figure out how to have you be in two places at once we will only have one income for..." Russell's voice trailed off. "I want the best for Lucy but who knows how long you're going to be her caretaker! Maybe the rest of her life!"

"Lucy dear, do you wanna play the piano?" Angela broke in her normally quiet voice rising above the yelling. Beside her Lucy nodded, a quiet sob escaping her lips.

Mary realized as her husband gently carried her niece over to the piano, settling her on her Nana's lap, then squatting down behind them to keep his firm arms to steady her, that no one had let Lucy play since being released from the hospital.

Angela gently brought Lucy's hand to the piano keys. Her granddaughters face lit up at the feel of the keys under her fingertips. The little girls head tilted upward, eyes closed, a giggle escaping smiling lips, as Nana Angela guided her fingers to the correct keys.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

I had a little trouble uploading the last chapter so please take a glance at it And if you've read it then great. If not, please do.

With that said. My favorite character returns and by far my favorite part of the series in the next couple chapter. Please review and let us know what you think as we are still working on this story.

Also, this can be read at the same time as Born This Way. Now, enough gabbing. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

James Fabray looked around his living room taking inventory that everything was set.

Lucy check. She was bundled up in a light jacket sat in her wheelchair. Angela was lacing her tennis shoes. James grimaced when Lucy did as Angela moved her granddaughter's legs into position on the footrest. The girl was awake but just barely.

Samuel check. The boy was standing beside him with his eyes closed listing into James side. If the older gentleman moved, the boy would have fallen flat on his face. James chuckled. It wasn't that early in the morning. Though they'd finally had to separate the two five year olds the night before. Both kids were beyond excited and wouldn't stop jabbering late into the early morning hours.

Frannie. The girl was not awake. She was sprawled out on the couch's fold out bed. Only the top of her head stuck out from the pile of blankets she was buried under. How the girl slept through all the noise everyone was making, he didn't know. She was a teenager though and James supposed that helped.

Lucy saw him looking at her sister and flicked off the breaks. She pushed down hard on the wheels easily building up momentum on her Nana's and Papaw's hardwood floor. The chair banged into the bed frame with force, Lucy shot forward slightly, using the momentum to smack her older sister in the face, waking her up. Only the lap belt she still used kept the five year old in place.

"Dweeb. Stop with the bumper cars." Frannie groaned. Using her wheelchair as a bumper car was Lucy's favorite way to torment her older sister. Frannie pushed her sister hard, sending the wheelchair rolling away from the bed the anti-tip bars stopped the chair from going over backwards. The chair bounced back down onto all four wheels. The grandparents held their breath and then relaxed when Lucy started giggling. Sam tried to blink himself awake enough to see what the commotion was about.

Lucy straightened herself up in the chair, still laughing as her sister buried herself underneath the covers again. The girl pulled on her knees, getting her feet back on the footplate and then cried out as pins and needles shot up her legs, a moment later her left leg started bouncing. She groaned, pushing on her knee to try to make it stop. Her doctors called it neurological pain and leg spasms, and it didn't mean much to the five-year-old except it hurt and was getting worse. They'd hoped it would get better.

Frannie pulled her head out from under the covers, looking slightly ashamed, even though she knew she hadn't caused her sisters discomfort, she still couldn't stop the feelings that worked their way through her at Lucy's pain.

Lucy tried to smile at her. "It's okay." The tiny girl mumbled.

Frannie pulled her head out from under the covers, looking slightly ashamed, even though she knew she hadn't caused her sisters discomfort, she still couldn't stop the feelings that worked their way through her at Lucy's pain.

Lucy tried to smile at her. "It's okay." The tiny girl mumbled.

Sam came out of his sleepy stupor at Lucy's tone of voice. He saw her happy feet as he called them and shrugged blinking again. The first few times her legs 'danced' he'd been freaked out by it, but now he'd become used to it.

"Alright," Nana Angela took control of the situation. They needed to get a move on. "Samuel, go get Lucy's bag."

Sam nodded sprinting off towards the back of the house and the guest room his cousin slept in. He didn't know the contents of Lucy's bag, it went with them everywhere and his Nana had repeated several times the night before that they couldn't forget it. He returned with the small bag, slung over his shoulder.

Angela took control of Lucy's wheelchair, despite the small girl hating to be pushed. She wanted to do it on her own. The grandmother ushered them towards the front door calling over her shoulder that she'd get the kids loaded up.

Outside Lucy zoomed ahead down the ramp that had been installed for her with Samuel running after her. Her momentum ground to a halt as the chair dropped off into the gravel driveway. The casters at the front had burrowed their way into the gravel and try as she might Lucy couldn't get the chair to roll any further forwards. Angela shook her head. The elder Fabray's wanted to lay concrete at the head of the driveway to make life easier for their granddaughter, but their son said it would be a waste of money. Lucy wouldn't be in the wheelchair for very long. They could cope. At the time the girl had been so weak that she barely could push herself. Now as her sixth birthday loomed just a week away Angela made the split second decision that by the weeks end the driveway would be fixed.

She watched as Sam tried to push on the back of his cousin's chair.

"Sammy, you have to tip me back, you dummy. You're making it worse," Lucy was laughing because Sam was digging her further into the loose top material.

Sam did as she suggested, but now she rolled so easily, the chair shot forwards and the front wheels bounced back down. Sam lunged forwards to catch hold again and the pair broke into a fit of giggles at the comedic value. Lucy was trying to stay upright, but Sam's lurching around had thrown her forwards so she was caught by the belt around her hips and her chest was on her knees, her breath heaving as she tried to both breathe and laugh at the same time.

Sam tried again and Lucy shot back into a sitting position as he pulled on the handles to tip her back. It wasn't easy for someone so short to tip the chair and keep it in place, but they continued with the little tip, shove and lurch routine four or five times until they reached their destination.

Both kids were sweating despite the cool August morning air at the exertion but they were at the door to their grandpa's big pickup truck.

"Nana?" Lucy called. From her position Angela couldn't see the kids anymore, but she heard the doors open.

"Yes?" She replied while moving down the steps and around the hulking vehicle. She laughed at the confused look on her granddaughters face. Sam looked just as confused.

"How am I supposed to get in?" The girl asked. They were working on transfers in therapy and Lucy was happy to do it on her own every chance she had. Cars weren't something she could handle because of her car seat, but her Papaw's truck was massive. She barely came above the wheel well.

Angela laughed now understanding Judy's hesitation when James told them they were fine using the big truck. Bryan could squeeze his tall frame in between the car seats.

Sam looked at his grandma laughing and started laughing too though he really wasn't sure what they were laughing at.

"We wait for your papaw." Angela said.

Inside the house Frannie was listening to her grandfather lay down the rules. The adults didn't want to leave the thirteen year old to her own devices but had no choice. The kids were staying with the Grandparents for the week leading up to Lucy's sixth birthday and the surprise party that was being planned. Not even Samuel or Frannie knew about it, but everyone wanted the day to be extra special. Therefore, the kids were at their grandparents while both sets of parents received some much needed down time. It was made all the more special by the fact that Bryan Fabray, Uncle Buck, to the kids was flying in to celebrate. He was in the middle of a permanent move from being stationed for a year in Korea to his new base in Maryland. The last time he'd seen the kids, life had been much different. Now though he'd arranged a few weeks leave before heading to Maryland. There was not enough room in her Grandfather's truck for Frannie to tag along.

"What are your plans for today?" James, maybe more than any of the adults actually trusted Frannie. He had his own ideas as to what the girl would do while they were away picking up Bryan from the airport, but he needed to hear her say it.

Frannie shrugged, "Probably go down to the creek, maybe mess around with Whitner." The creek was Frannie's favorite location on the farm. She could spend hours by it listening to the flowing water while she drew and painted.

Whitner was Frannie's horse. The teenager was an excellent rider and could be trusted on the horse. Still, James didn't want her on the gentle horse without anyone else around. He told her so and was relieved when she agreed. She just wanted to draw the horse again and while James and Angela hadn't mentioned anything to Frannie yet, James realized his eldest grandchild knew Whitner's lifespan was coming to an end.

"Don't forget to slop the sows if we aren't't back by six. Be careful of Bessy. She's extra prickly lately."

"I know Papaw." The teenager kissed him on the cheek. "Go."

Outside, James quickly noticed the dilemma. They tried to make things as easy for their granddaughter as possible, but sometimes situations came up that required some on-the-go problem solving. James tossed hay bales every day that weighed more than his granddaughter. This time it worked to their advantage and after James shooed Sam out of his booster seat and climbed in, he unfastened the belt and slipped his hands behind the tiny girl's knees and the other around her ribs and hoisted her into the truck with ease. Lucy fastened her own seat belt and soon they were on the road.

As the family of a returning military member from an overseas assignment, they'd been granted special access to meet Bryan at the gate instead of out in the main concourse. So the family was ushered through security. They all went through the scanner except Lucy who was given a cursory pat down by a nice lady in a security uniform. The rest of the family looked on a little horrified but Lucy seemed amused at the man who swabbed the frame of her chair for explosives.

Now they were moving along the concourse hallways towards the arrival gates. Sam was fascinated by the large planes landing. They shook the wall of glass windows. His eyes lit up as one taxied away from the building. He jogged over to the window, pressing his face against the glass feeling the vibrations rattle his body. He loved it and jumped up and down in excitement. He walked sideways for a while staying in pace with his nana and papaw. Lucy zoomed ahead and would turn quickly around and roll back to them when his grandparents called out for her. He wasn't paying attention and nearly fell over her not realizing she'd stopped. Nana Angela and Papaw James were a way back talking to the airport employee that was escorting them.

"What?" He asked, but then realized why she stopped when he looked past her. The hallway was turning into a steep incline. Sam looked at her seeing her determined look. "Uh oh."

She took off pushing hard but didn't get very far as gravity worked against her. Sam ran after her, ignoring his grandma telling him not to run. He caught up easily and pushed on her chair. After a moment, he shoved his back against the backrest in a half squat, his toes digging into his shoes trying to gain grip on the slick floor.

He grunted with the effort but lost a step. Finally he reached back and held on to the wheels. They were a funny sight to behold in the semi-crowded hallway. Families moved around them, but Sam ignored them. He grunted, trying not to fall flat on his back and get run over by her.

"Get the brakes." He heard them click in place, his load lessening, but didn't move just in case. He was more concerned about Lucy than himself, though getting run over wasn't his idea of a good morning either.

James caught up to the kids and unlocked her brakes while starting forward in one swift movement taking his grandson by surprised. Splat. Sam landed flat on his back breathing heavily in the hallway. There were quite a few chuckles from passersby. Sam jumped to his feet and mock bowed a few times a huge grin on his face before taking off to catch up with everyone.

A short while later they arrived at the gates with James still pushing Lucy because her little arms needed a rest and people swarmed all around them as they rushed to meet connecting flights. Lucy was giggling because her grandfather was intent on causing carnage in the busy hallway. People were often too considerate of her wheelchair and gave her enough room to drive a bus through, while at other times, she got a whack around the head from someone's shopping bag when they got too close. Lucy didn't often complain, but when she saw kids her own age being pulled out of her way or told off by their parents for staring at her, she got a little down about it. Pawpaw had seen it several times before and started to act silly when he pushed her chair. He would make racing car or train noises and push her really quickly, then stop suddenly. Lucy squealed and giggled when he did because he made her feel like it wasn't all so serious. Her Daddy used to do that at first but lately he seemed to not like it anymore. Meanwhile Samuel was barely paying attention to anything going on around him and his Nana had to steer him in the right direction so he wasn't trampled by the people trying to avoid Lucy's wheelchair.

Lucy overheard Nana telling Sam off for not concentrating on where he was going.

"Papaw, can Sammy have a ride too?"

James looked at the boy. He was looking bewildered in amongst the crowd. "Sure," he tugged at Sam's arm. "Here you are son, want to sit on Lucy's knees?"

Sam looked amused at the thought and nodded, climbing up, but as soon as he sat down he could feel her legs start to dance around again. "Lucy, your happy feet started again."

She groaned and winced a little, so Sam stood up on the footrest instead, while Lucy grabbed the back of his jeans. It wasn't a very effective way of transporting anyone, so James made him get down again and let him stand on the the back axle instead, so he could still steer the chair.

The airline employee escorted them through to the scheduled gate, stopping briefly at the big boards to show the adults, having only flown once before to Bryan's basic training graduation, how to check it for arrival time and gate information; the flight was delayed.

James took Sam to visit some of the shops to keep the hyperactive child happy. Lucy was disappointed that she didn't get to go along. Her lip trembled for a moment as she watched them disappear into the crowd. She understood that sometimes she was too much of a hassle and people didn't want her tagging along. Frannie sure didn't and her father constantly grumbled at her for the things she could no longer do. Even though she was young, she could still somewhat remember what it was like to run and jump in mud puddles. She missed it and her daddy's comments some days made the longing to be like she was before worse. She was too much hard work.

"Turn that frown upside down." Nana tapped her protruding lip transforming the sour expression into a toothy grin. "What time is it?" She asked as she showed her granddaughter her wristwatch.

Lucy was smart and it helped her finish her kindergarten year with the help of her aunt and the home bound teacher visiting when she wasn't in therapy. She took her grandmother's watch, running the pads of her fingers over the design on the family heirloom.

Angela watched the look on her granddaughters face as she felt the intricate metalwork.

The smile slipped a little as Lucy brought the watch face up to her eyes. She pushed her glasses up high, yet she was still squinting. She poked her finger on the watch face moving around in a circle. She couldn't count the numbers as they were Roman numerals. The smile slipped completely as she handed the watch back. Lucy knew what her grandmother was doing; it was their subtle way of reminding her. "I don't need to go." She stated, but her voice was confused.

Angela waited the little girl out, Lucy's brow furrowed in concentration as she watched the people around them. In her pack on the back of her chair, was a spare set of clothes and a catheter as well as her medicines for the day and her stuffed lamb. Lamby rode in the bag everywhere with her. Her granddaughter was able to use the toilet now, but her feeling was still iffy. The doctors were baffled that sometimes the girl could tell when she needed to go and sometimes she wouldn't feel the pressure at all and the dam had burst, which was distressing for the youngster. At other times she could feel the need to pee but couldn't make it happen and they were forced to use the catheter. Most of the time when Lucy felt the need to go it was an urgent matter and the family was trained in what to do but it helped to remind her every few hours. The situation was getting better, but not fast enough for Lucy; she had been potty-trained to start kindergarten the year before and now she needed help when none of her friends did; she was too old for that.

"Are you sure?" Angela prompted, she knew that Lucy was stalling. The girl rolled her chair forward a half-turn and back a half-turn just as quickly. She was repeating the back and forth action over and over again. She couldn't get up and pace away. She wondered how long her papaw and Sam was going to be gone for.

"How long 'till Uncle Buck gets here?" She asked.

"Not for a while."

"Oh." Lucy watched the people wearing suits standing behind a large desk. People kept going up to the desk.

She rolled back and then tugged on her grandmother's arm. "Nana? What are they doing?" She pointed at the line of people starting to form. She'd barely remembered her flight home from the hospital the previous year; she just knew the plane made her tummy ache and her daddy kept her safe on the flight.

"They're getting ready to board the plane, sweetie."

"Oh." She stated. "Why? I thought this was where Uncle Buck's supposed to be."

"He is. It's not time yet."

The crowd was surrounding them as they sat there at the end of a row of chairs. Lucy felt like she was in the way as someone bumped into her chair. She hated feeling cornered, unable to move. Her breath caught in her throat. She wasn't a dummy, she could see the looks she was getting. Some people would look at her and glance away when she looked back at them. Some people pretended not to look but were just as obvious in their attempts to be subtle. Some people openly stared at her. It all made her feel strange.

A few minutes later Sam skipped down the terminal hallway in search of Lucy. His grandpa caved at the bookstore and he had a brand new book about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. He wanted Lucy to help him read it.

Sam bound up to her and shoved two books into her face. She let go of the wheels to grab the books. Lucy broke out into a face splitting grin when she read the titles. One was a large volume on the life and works of Ludwig von Beethoven. It was beyond her reading capabilities but one day she'd read through it. She dropped it onto her lap and held up the small paperback for Sam to see, pleased as can be that he'd remembered the series of fiction books she'd started. She'd been begging her dad for the next one. The main character was a child pianist just like her.

She took the book about Michael Jordan from Sam and opened it as he sat beside her in the special blue seat with the wheelchair picture on it. She pushed her glasses back up and started to try and read the words. It was quite hard and she didn't know all the words, but she could sound them out and once she had, she would ask Nana to tell her what they meant.

A elderly woman was sat on one of the other blue chairs and listened in to the two youngsters. At one point in their conversation she looked across at Angela and the two made eye-contact.

"Is this your granddaughter?" the grey-haired woman asked.

Angela nodded. "It is," she smiled.

"She's just adorable, they both are."

"Thank you," Angela replied. They're cousins."

"I thought maybe brother and sister, they look so alike."

"It's the hair," Angela relied with her tinkling laugh. James was reading the newspaper and not really listening to what was going on. "We're just waiting for our son to arrive and he hasn't seen them since..." Angela stopped herself. The woman didn't need to know that. "For a long time." She corrected herself. "The flight is delayed though."

Lucy looked up at her Nana and then realized she was talking to the lady sat behind her. She turned round and smiled at her.

"What's your name, honey?"

"Lucy," she replied.

"And how old are you?"

Lucy grinned at her. "Five," she replied, then turning serious added, "but I'm nearly six!"

"Me too," Sam replied, not wanting to be left out.

Angela was pleased that at least someone could see past Lucy's wheelchair and recognize the girl wasn't retarded just because she couldn't walk.

The children went back to their book.

"Young Lucy certainly has some smarts," the older woman replied. "And she sure could break a few hearts with that face."

Angela smiled again and nodded. "She's a little miracle."

They were interrupted then by two adults who came to meet the old woman and she bid her farewell to Angela as the call went out for her flight. People suddenly sprang up all around and made their way to the desk.

Angela tapped Lucy on the nose to gain her attention; her granddaughter's little neck was straining up at all the people towering over her. Once Lucy was focused on her, Angela motioned to the backpack. Lucy sighed and gave Sam the book back and started to push her wheels towards the restroom followed by her grandmother.

-GLEE-

By the time Lucy came back from visiting the restroom with Nana, Sam had grown bored with his book. He'd moved up to the big windows again and was fascinated by the workers loading the luggage onto another plane. He breathed on the window and it steamed up, so he wiped it away and continued watching.

Lucy picked her way through the crowd and up to him, he smiled widely at her nearly bouncing all around in is excitement. He showed her what happened when he breathed on the window again. Lucy giggled and leaned forward, her hand resting on the window briefly to keep her balance and did the same. She did it again after it disappeared only the second time she drew a smiley face in the condensation. Sam laughed and copied her. Then they did it again and Lucy did a flower but Sam turned his nose up and drew a plane instead. They watched the ground crew drive away in their funny little truck with empty luggage trailers on the back.

"I'm gonna do that when I get as big as Uncle Buck." Sam pointed at the airport workers and then he raised his arm way up in the air, standing on his tippy-toes to indicate Buck's height.

"Uncle Buck is in the Air Force not working for an airport, dummy."

Angela watched the children wondering what they were discussing. Lucy looked exasperated at whatever her cousin was telling her; he was motioning wildly and looked like she'd just burst his bubble.

While Sam seemed to be gearing up for a second wind of hyperactivity, Angela wondered how much longer Lucy was going to stay awake. The little girl was fairing up pretty well, no doubt the excitement of the day was helping, but Angela knew that could all change in an instant; Lucy was still not the energetic little girl she had been before her illness. She slept more, ate less and although she had bouts of energy, they could dwindle almost instantaneously, leaving her drained and barely able to function.

They had been sat waiting for some time when Buck's plane was finally announced as landing shortly. Sam was so excited to see his uncle that he kept showing off his t-shirt that proudly stated his uncle was in the Air Force and talking in a louder than normal voice so that everyone knew why they were there. Buck had brought the T-shirt for him on his last visit and they practically had to pry the T-shirt off him to wash it; Sam loved it so much.

Lucy on the other hand was coming to the end of her energy reserves. The longer she sat waiting the more her legs began to twitch. She didn't always let on how much it bothered her, but her grandparents always knew anyway.

"How's my little buttercup?" her grandfather asked, noticing Lucy holding onto her left knee; it was always more bothersome than the right.

She shrugged and held on until it stopped bouncing up and down.

"Want to come sit up here instead?" he held out his arms for her. Lucy didn't hesitate and unfastened the seat belt around her waist so he could lift her out. Moments later, she was resting on her Papaw's lap, her back up against his strong chest and his arms wrapped protectively around her, as she sat quietly daydreaming. She was too excited still to completely fall into the nap that she so desperately needed yet too tired to join in Sam's borderline hysterical antics.

"Papaw, will Uncle Buck be wearing his uniform?" She asked him quietly.

"I expect so," James replied. "You know how proud he is to wear it right?"

Lucy just nodded and put her thumb in her mouth like she did when she slept.

"I hope he gets here soon, I too sleepy."

"Go ahead and rest, buttercup. I'll wake you when he comes through."

"Promise?"

"I promise," he replied with a gentle smile, brushing a few wayward strands of blonde hair off her face with his large hands.

-GLEE-

Buck was a mixture of emotions as he exited the plane. He'd been fortunate enough to be stationed nearby when his niece and nephew were just toddlers and when he'd volunteered to go to Korea he had really been looking forward to the experience in a foreign country. He'd taken his superiors advise and made it off base as often as he could to experience the culture. The assignment was only a year, just a blip in time really, but so much had changed.

He remembered as if it was just yesterday when the Red Cross message came through his chain of command; Lucy had been in a playground accident. He was patched through to his sister. Buck's heart dropped into his combat boots upon hearing that his niece lay paralyzed from the waist down. The confusion surrounding what had actually happened and what it meant for Lucy's recovery was made worse by the fact that he was almost seven thousand miles away on the opposite side of the world. There was not much his command could do for him, but he'd been nicknamed the gentle giant by his co-workers. Everyone knew that beyond the gruff exterior he was capable of showing, he was a complete softy when it came to Sam and Lucy. While everyone kept an eye on Buck as he was separated from his support system, Buck worried about Frannie; who was her support if he couldn't be there in person? He'd seen it many times that the reserved girl was forgotten in the chaos that was Lucy and Sam.

He'd written to her more than he would normally, trying to send a letter out every week. Her replies were less frequent. As the months passed on, they almost stopped completely; going from optimistic to almost mechanical. Now as he exited into the bustling airport, he wondered if the picture he had now of his neice matched the reality. He was worried that he would see her and get so emotional that he wouldn't be able to function or even know what to say. She was Russ's little miracle; not supposed to have survived the trauma of her birth and now this? It was too much for their tightnit family. He imagined Russ would be devastated and yet Frannie's letters of late had seemed to hint that her father was in denial; he couldnt imagine that to be the case, his brother doted on the child at the expense of his elder daughter. He imagined Judy would be in bits; she had never really been the same since they lost Isaac.

"Uncle Buck! Uncle Buck!" Sam's voice cut through the surrounding noise of people moving quickly through the waiting area and woke him from his thoughts. His nephew was jumping up and down as high as he could, while waving wildly, not even trying to contain himself in his excitement. Buck waved back and Sam took off darting around people as he sprinted from his spot beside his Nana.

"Hey there, buddy." Buck scooped him up, he'd grown taller in the year. Buck tossed him in the air and he laughed loudly. "See?" He proudly showed his shirt to Buck once his feet were back on the ground before grabbing his hand and pulling him towards where James and Angela were moving towards them slowly. They wanted to give their grandson a moment.

"Son." James had picked his way carefully towards his son with Lucy still in his arms. She'd finally succumbed to her body's need for rest. He held out his hand slightly at the wrist, and he adjusted Lucy a little higher in his arms. Keeping his precious cargo safe didn't leave much room for anything more than a handshake.

Bryan turned away from Sam with a knowing smirk. James looked the part of weathered old farmer, yet his father had no trouble showing all his emotions. If he'd had a third arm, Bryan would have been wrapped up tight in a bone crunching hug. There would have been much puffing of chests and slapping of backs.

Buck's eyes darted to the empty wheelchair sitting empty beside his father and swallowed heavily. His mood dampened for a brief moment, it was naive of him but he'd hoped this all was some elaborate prank his family had cooked up, yet seeing the little pink chair made everything real.

He blinked back the sudden urge to cry, not wanting Sam to see him break down. The boy was watching his every move. Sam wasn't the only one. They were drawing a crowd as they stood reuniting. Bryan didn't know if it was the uniform that he wore that had drawn their attention, but some of the people were watching them from a distance, others had shifted in closer to openly eavesdrop.

"Dad." Bryan shook his hand, the jostling woke Lucy from her slumber and she blearily rubbed at her eyes with her tiny fist before sticking her thumb in her mouth and snuggling her face into her Papaw's shoulder more. She took so many naps that she always felt confused when she woke up.

"Lucy Q," Bryan tried desperately not to let his emotions show too much. He smiled as wide as he could, but he could feel his mouth tighten a little.

The eyes, which were half-closed just a moment before, suddenly shot open to reveal the big hazel orbs. "Uncle Buck!" Lucy's face lit up but her body was tired and she didnt move to him immediately.

"See buttercup, I told you I would wake you up when he got here," James hitched her a little higher. She might not have weighed much but she was five years old not five months and he was getting a little tired himself after the long morning. "You want to get back in your chair, darlin'?"

Lucy shook her head. She was tired of sitting.

Buck greeted Angela. "Hey Ma!" They shared a long hug. "You look gorgeous as always." He gave her his best smile and she held his large hand to her face where he had put it moments before.

"And you are as big and handsome as always," she gave him the warmest of smiles. "It's so good to have you home, son. We've all missed you."

"I missed all of you too." He turned back to James. "Hey Dad, why don't you let me have her. Me and Lucy here got some catching up to do." The longer she didn't have to go back in the little wheelchair, the longer his heart would stay in one piece.

"What about me?" Sam jumped up to his uncle's elbow.

"You'll get your turn too, Sam." Bryan leaned closer to his father and scooped the girl out into his embrace.

"Careful, son. Her legs get real sensitive. Don't squeeze them too tight."

"I got her Dad," Bryan assured the older man. "How's this Lucy Q? You comfy with Uncle Buck?"

The girl stuck her thumb back in her mouth, dropped her head to his shoulder and simply nodded as they turned away from the watching audience towards the exit and home.

-GLEE-

By the time the family arrived back at the farm, Lucy was wiped out and sound asleep with her chin resting on her chest. Buck reached over and stopped her head from bouncing with every bump and pot hole the truck went through. Sam on the other hand was still hyped at seeing his uncle again. He thought his Uncle Buck was the neatest person ever; night and day different than his Uncle Russ. The boy nearly chatted Bryan's ear off the whole ride home.

After the flight delay, the emotional reunion at the gate, picking their way down to the baggage claim and loading up Buck's luggage, everyone was famished. They'd stopped for lunch and then managed to get stuck in rush hour traffic coming out of Cincinnati. It was nearly six p.m. by the time they arrived back to the farm.

Buck shooed Sam out of the truck. It took a bit to extract his tall frame from the vehicle, James had the bed cover rolled up and was preparing to climb into the truck bed, but Buck strode up and clapped him on the back.

"I've got it pops."

And just like in the airport parking garage Bryan barely put any effort into hopping up in the truck. He heard a grunt and looked back to see Sam scaling the gate to get in the truck bed with him. Buck grinned back at his nephew and began unstrapping the frame of Lucy's chair from where it was tied down in the back.

"How's this work?" He called over his shoulder at his father while picking up the frame and examining it. It was super light.

"Oh. I can do it!" Sam called loudly right next to him and started hopping around which in turn caused the truck to bounce.

A tapping sound came from the rear window. Sam looked in and then bit his lip. "Crap!" The small boy muttered.

Before Buck could reprimand his nephew for his language or look in the window to see what was going on, he was busy unstrapping the wheels, James told him to hand them over the side.

"I can do it!" Sam stated again, wanting to be useful, but this time keeping his excitement from manifesting itself physically.

"Alright." Buck laughed. "Hop off."

Before Buck could realize that telling Sam to hop off was a recipe for disaster, the boy grinned mischievously at his uncle then turned and started to run towards the tailgate.

James saw the look in his grandson's eyes. "Samuel it's not a long jump!"

Bryan reached out and grabbed the back of his nephew's shirt. Sam skidded to a stop.

"You guys are no fun!" The five-year-old complained, but he climbed down from the tailgate anyway and began assembling Lucy's chair. Bryan ducked his face again, pretending to unstrap his gear even though he already had it ready to toss out of the truck. It was a mixture of emotions coursing through him and he was having a hard time deciphering them. On one hand he felt proud that Sam was so at ease around his cousin and knew what to do. On the other hand he felt sick to his stomach that the five year old knew exactly what to do. It wasn't right.

Buck squatted down, an impressive feat for his large size, and ducked his head to look into the back window. He was curious what made his nephew curse. Mary and Dwight had zero tolerance for language of that sort.

His heart clenched painfully in his chest. Lucy was clutching at her legs, her fingertips digging into her tiny thighs. He could hear her muffled crying through the closed windows. Buck watched on for a moment unable to look away despite the sickening feeling growing deep within his gut; he was nauseated by the thought of what had happened to her. The whole car trip back her legs had been moving around on their own. At first she hadn't said much, she looked annoyed more than anything, but as the time went on she started crying out with the movement. To Bryan it seemed almost constant though he knew that wasn't the case. Every time she drifted to sleep it seemed to start up again not letting her get the rest she needed until complete exhaustion forced her to sleep. Sam had watched on with a careful eye, peering around Bryan, but the boy kept up his chatter. Bryan realized now it was a distraction tactic as Sam looked like he wanted to cry with Lucy. He might be a giant of a man but he felt completely helpless and confused.

He jumped out of the truck bed and opened Lucy's door; her crying ripped through the peaceful farm. His eyes locked with his mother's and she gave him a strained smile. Angela was trying to reassure her son. She felt like they hadn't prepared him well enough for the reality of his niece's situation, but she had to focus her attention on her tiny charge.

Angela tried to massage Lucy's legs to break them of the bad spasm that wouldn't let go. She'd sat too much while waiting.

Lucy's tiny fists alternated between clutching at her Nana's hands trying to push them away and hitting at them when Angela refused to let go. The little girl wasn't trying to hurt her grandmother, she was trying to stop the pain and in her young mind, her grandmother was the source of it at that moment.

"Are we hurting her?" Bryan asked. He didn't want to hurt her more than she already was. Angela shook her head. It was a loaded question as some days everything hurt the five-year-old, even the slightest pressure of her pants touching the skin on her legs sent her into hysterics and some days she barely felt her legs at all.

"No, son. It's not us. I have her pain medicine in the house."

Bryan looked vastly confused, but leaned in and as smoothly as possible looped his arms under her knees and ribs and hoisted her out of the car seat into his arms, cradling her against his chest.

Her ear piercing scream only broke off when she gasped wheezing for breath.

Sam had picked up his basketball and was bouncing it around trying to ignore Lucy's screams. It was too much. He reared back drop-kicking the ball hard into the side of the barn. It wasn't enough to stem his anger and he caught it on the rebound turned and threw it as hard as he could towards the pickup truck. It bounced off the hood spinning up into the air. Sam stomped off into the distance, his hands clutching tightly to his ears.

Bryan followed his ma into the house; his stomach growled loudly, there was a wonderful aroma drifting from a slow cooker on the kitchen counter. The neighbors, the Anderson's, knowing he was back had stopped by earlier so that the family could spend the evening relaxing together without having to worry about cooking. More specifically Angela could relax, having her son back.

Lucy giggled slightly at the sound his belly made, but was hiccupping now and seemed to be having trouble breathing. He could feel the rattling of her lungs against his chest as he carried her. Worse still was that her arms were tightly wrapped around his neck so her chest was pressed against his, the vibration seemed to go right to his heart.

The empty little wheelchair still sat beside the truck outside.

Sam was too angry to go near it, his helpful mood had soured. He was sat on the ground in the distance where he couldn't hear what was happening in the house. His legs were bent at ninety degrees, his elbows rested on his knees. Occasionally he reached to the ground and picked up a stone to throw; the scowl on his usually happy face was becoming a common appearance.

Angela ushered her adopted son towards the guest bedroom where the kids stayed during their overnight visits. Lucy's were becoming more frequent and Sam not wanting to be left out usually joined her. As Bryan walked through the living room he noticed the rugs were gone leaving only the hardwood floor.

Angela nodded to the nearest bed where there were a lot of extra pillows. "Just put her down slowly."

He laid her on the mattress gently. Lucy automatically tried to roll on her side, but she couldn't turn her hips, so he carefully pulled her over and then looked to Angela for what to do next. The older woman rubbed gentle circles on Lucy's back to relax her. She was still breathing heavily but the pain on her face eased a little.

"Lucy, let's roll you over onto your tummy." Angela pulled her over and the little girl automatically tucked her arms under her chin, leaving her grandmother to straighten her legs. There was a brief flash of pain, but then as Angela took the large ladybug cushion and tucked it under the fragile legs and feet, the pain visibly lessened.

From the drawer in the bedside cabinet Angela took out the nebulizer mask and switched it on. She grabbed the giant giraffe and tickled Lucy's neck with the head until the blonde head lifted slightly allowing the older woman to slip the mask on. Lucy reached out for the giraffe and hugged it to her chest. Within a minute, the breathing became quieter and less constricted. The pain dissipated but didn't disappear.

Bryan looked on helplessly, now that she was on the bed and out of his hands.

"Sweetheart." Bryan would have grimaced at the silly nickname he hated, but he was too lost in thought. Angela tugged on his hand, drawing his attention out of his internal musings and into the present.

"What can I do ma?" He could see Lucy had stopped screaming, but her eyes spoke of the pain she was in still.

Angela didn't want to give her granddaughter the pain pills, but her hands were tied. Lucy had visited another specialist just weeks before, this one in Columbus. They'd reached a dead end on controlling her pain. The doctor had refused to prescribe a higher dosage as it was; the current level constantly upset the girl's sensitive stomach.

"Go to the dining room and get her medication, it's in her backpack and fetch a bowl because she will get sick when she takes it."

Bryan did as he was asked. It took a few minutes to track down a suitable bowl and he brought the souvenir he promised Lucy; a pink camouflage blanket. When he headed back out of the farmhouse a few minutes later to search for Frannie, Lucy was covered in the blanket and looked far younger than her five years.

-GLEE-

Bryan let the farmhouse door click lightly shut behind him. The smells of the farm mingled with the roast; whereas just twenty- minutes earlier it represented home and comfort, now the scent made his stomach roll violently.

He shook his head in dismay, feeling as if he'd been caught in a whirlwind of emotions. He couldn't even begin to fathom what he'd just witnessed and understanding it was far beyond his current abilities. His thoughts and emotions swirled in angry waves within him. He hadn't felt this helpless since he was a little kid stuck without an advocate, exposed to the ways of his birth parents, and all alone in a very bad situation.

He shook his thoughts off and strode past the wheelchair still sat next to the truck door. He flicked the door shut, it's sound alerting James to Bryan's presence. The old farmer smiled at his son with understanding. In the distance, Buck could make out Sam's outline. The boy had retrieved his basketball and was bouncing it down the lane. Every so often he would kick his sneaker sending gravel flying through the air.

Bryan nodded his head towards Sam. "Is he alright, Pa?"

James watched Sam for a moment and then nodded. "He will be. He just needs time Bryan."

Bryan wasn't so sure.

He looked around not seeing Frannie. As far as he could tell she wasn't in the house, no one would have been able to ignore Lucy's screams.

"I thought Frannie was here this week, too?"

"She is." James was pulling his work gloves on, a little distracted trying to speed through everything that needed to be done. He hated being out of the house when Lucy was in so much pain. Though Lucy barely weighed anything, her lower body was dead weight and the spasms that were so prevalent made carrying the precious cargo more than Angela could manage alone. He didn't elaborate until he looked up and saw Bryan looking confused.

James motioned to the barn and then brought his gloved index finger up to his lips, motioning Bryan to stay quiet.

A wicked grin erased the worry lines that were constantly present on Bryan's face from the moment he'd walked off the plane hours earlier. Before his father could tell him now was not the time, Buck strode off, his long legs taking him quickly to the open barn doors.

Bryan's teasing mood was soon to evaporate like steam into the late August evening.

He found the teenager curled up in a tight ball in the back of a stall, her hands clasped firmly over her ears; clearly she had tried to block out her sister's wailing. Fresh tear tracks paved long wet paths from Frannie's long eyelashes. She was sound asleep. Bryan scrunched down near her, her breathing changed, but she made no indication that she was awake. Bryan knew better.

His niece, though he still found it hard to call her that, was frowning deeply in her sleep. Her hair, blonde like the rest of the family but with a tiny touch of red, was shorter than he'd ever seen her wear it before. She looked pale and drawn, clearly worn out.

He didn't think it was possible, but Bryan's heart shattered just a little more than it already was. His concerns for his family weren't simply misplaced worries. Guilt coursed through him again.

Bryan plucked a few stray straws that found their way onto Frannie's drawing pad. Bryan was stunned as he gazed upon the drawing. It was a perfect rendering, so realistic that if he didn't know better he would have mistaken it for a photograph of Whitner; the horse had become Frannie's confidant after Bryan graduated. Every hair, every eyelash was perfectly placed and spoke volumes to the skill of the thirteen year old.

He was in awe and yet his breath caught in his chest.

In the perfectly rendered eye, was the reflection of Lucy sitting in the wheelchair. She was dressed in jeans and the cowboy boots she was so proud of. She had on a plaid long-sleeve shirt; pink and teal of course. The braided blonde hair stuck out from beneath a straw cowboy hat. It was pure Lucy as Bryan remembered, yet the little girls eyes spoke of longing.

When he finally glanced up, Frannie was watching him intently. He sat the tablet down beside her.

"That's amazing, Frannie."

She snatched it up, flicking the pages to a different drawing, equally as impressive.

"That's private," she growled, but made no move to hide the other drawing.

"Why don't you want me to see it?"

"Because I don't alright. Leave it please. You don't understand. It's just been too hard since you went away."

Buck looked at the girl, their eyes met and the flood gates opened.

He just held her to start with. She needed a good cry so he'd let her until there were no tears left. Frannie had a temper, always had since she was little, but she had never had this kind of sorrow before. She was deflated like a burst balloon and with everyone else concentrating on Lucy right now, there was no one left to inflate her again. She was ignored.

"Thanks," she spoke in a muffled voice as her head still rested on his chest.

"What's matter, Fran?"

"Everything," she sniffed. "Or nothing maybe. I'm just having a bad day."

"Come on now," he squeezed her shoulders. "That might work for everyone else round here, but not me."

"I don't want to spoil your visit."

"I'm here to help, girl. But I can't do that if you don't tell me what's wrong. Is this about Lucy?"

Frannie nodded. "Sort of. It's more though. Everyone is miserable because of what happened to her and she feels bad because everyone is trying to help and I just think she wants to be normal again, but no one lets her be normal."

Bryan was just confused by all of that. "When you say everyone is miserable, what do you mean?"

"Dad and Mom I guess. They went with her for so long, so now they are fighting because we don't have a lot of money. Dad hasn't been working and the medical bills are like, enormous. They think we don't know, but we do. They sort of talk in parent code and think we don't understand. Please!" She rolled her slightly swollen eyes and laughed, but not because she was amused; it was an ironic laugh.

"And you're stuck in the middle," it wasn't a question. Bryan looked at her. "You can't keep all this bottled up or you will explode. Take it from me, I know all about teen rage. I had enough of it for a hundred people. Talking to your grandfather helped me, why not start there?"

"I'd rather talk to you," she looked up at him. "I mean, if you don't mind."

"Of course not. Why are you bothered about money? Everyone must have been helping out?"

"I think that's why Daddy's unhappy. He's become used to being the successful one, you know with money and stuff. He wanted us to move to a nice new house, a big fancy one and now they can't afford so it makes him mad. He gets upset when Mom spends money, even when it's to help Luce get better. I don't understand why he gets mad about that. We don't need a big house, we just need for Lucy to get better and then everyone will be happy again."

Bryan didn't want to tell her she was wrong, because she had pretty much nailed it. He didn't understand some things about his adopted brother. Like why did he dote on Lucy and then resent Judy for spending money on her treatment. It didn't make sense. A lot of things weren't adding up, but maybe he just didn't have all the facts straight. Frannie was only a teenager after all. Maybe he needed to spend some time with Russ and find out what was going on, both for real and inside the man's head.

-GLEE-

Later that evening after the kids were all in bed and Bryan could finally have a conversation with his parents, he looked at them. They were both steeled for the inevitable series of difficult questions, but just because they knew what he would ask; it didn't mean they had the answers he sought.

"Ma, what the hell happened to Lucy?"

Angela sighed. "I wish I could answer that question, son. The simple truth is that no one seems to know for sure."

"Whatever caused this, Ma, someone needs to sort out that pain. I can't leave here and go back to work knowing that little miracle in there is hurting so much."

"They've tried everything so far and it's not working. She isn't getting any better. It's just about breaking everyone's heart."

"Someone better give us some answers or I'm going to break some heads," the usually placid giant replied through gritted teeth.

"Mary is trying to persuade Russell to let the doctors operate and put a pain pump into her abdomen so she doesn't have to take the pills anymore."

"I know he's my brother, Ma, but why hasn't he insisted it be done already? If she was my child..." He left the sentence unfinished. Bryan had had a tough start to life, but it was nothing like his niece was currently going through.

**TBC**

Please review. I'm begging you. This is me down on my knees, pleading! No really, I find reviews to be very helpful.


	6. Chapter 6

Part 2 of my favorite parts in this whole series. I just love. Buck and I'm glad you do to. A special thanks to Phoenix2013 for her ideas for this section as well as my co-author Oracleismyname.

dragon matt blue - Thank you for the compliment.

Mimi - thank you, but I think it's the addition of my co-author. We make a pretty good team.

Anon - Lucy is a very special indeed.

QuelleFablake - thank you for the compliment. I am a sucker for the difficult topics too.

SRC940C - happy lottery day! Isn't Papaw James, Nana Angela and Uncle Buck just great!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Bryan had been for a haircut first thing that morning; number one on top, zero on the sides. Just the way he liked it. He drove up to the house and the moment he pulled on the handbrake Sam came running out to meet him. He barely got out the truck before the boy was chattering excitedly. "Is that a Mohawk? It looks like a Mohawk. It's so cool. I'm gonna ask Mom if I can get one too." He ruffled his own unruly blonde hair that looked like it hadn't been brushed that morning.

Buck just laughed at the boy. "What have you been doing this morning?"

"Nothing, I was bored watching TV and Lucy can't play because she has to stand up so I was dancing around the living room while she played me a song."

Buck looked at him. "What do you mean when you say she has to stand up?"

"She had to get in the frame thing. She has to get in every day. I don't know why, but the doctor says she has to so she does, even though she hates it." Buck was intrigued. Sam grabbed his hand. "Come on I'll show you," the boy tugged at him like a dog pulling on a leash.

"Slow down, Speedy Gonzales." Buck grabbed Sam's hands with one of his own and bodily lifted him up in the air so he couldn't run. Sam laughed as he swung off his uncle's arm like it was a monkey bar.

They went through the kitchen where Angela was cleaning dishes. "You're back, minus hair."

"Hey Ma!"

"Nana look at Uncle Buck's hair. Do you think Mom will let me have my hair cut like that?" Sam idolized the airman.

Buck laughed at Sam and then glanced over to the corner of the room to where his niece was standing in what looked to be some sort of metal frame. She was supported round her hips and knees so she didn't fall and had a large tray fixed in front of her so she could rest her arms on it, or as she was at the moment, clearly practicing her piano playing.

Lucy squinted up at him from her position in the standing frame.

"You're bald!"

"He's not bald! It's a Mohawk!" Sam corrected her while trying to scale his uncle's arm. He finally hopped up and down trying to jump as high as possible to touch Buck's head.

"That's some Mohawk, son." James said dryly between sips of coffee.

"It's not a Mohawk!" Buck chuckled, while leaning over his niece. Her hand patted the tiny bit of hair on his head.

She giggled, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "It's peach fuzz," she announced.

Angela hid her laughter behind her kitchen towel. James made no attempt to stop his.

Bryan rubbed his peach fuzz against her face. Lucy squealed, but held in place she couldn't pull away. It tickled her face.

"It's not peach fuzz!" Sam stomped his foot and pushed at the frame. He knew better than push on Lucy, but he wasn't going to tolerate. "Buck's too gung-ho!" He made a very exaggerated karate chop and kick. Lucy giggled at his silliness.

"Hooyah." Buck grunted out, deeply. Lucy was pulling on his ear to get him to turn his head. He blew a raspberry into her neck like he did when she was a baby.

Sam had stopped mid-kick and stood there one leg in the air starring wide-eyed at his uncle. Buck grinned and lowered his voice even more, putting all his bravado into it, "Hooyah!"

"Hooyah!" Sam yelled. Everyone winced at the volume.

Buck straightened up to his full height, towering over his five-year-old nephew.

"Hooyah!" He bellowed.

"Hooyah!" Lucy repeated at a much lower volume. Everyone smiled.

"That's right Lucy Q, Hooyah!"

"Trainee Evans, fall in."

Sam looked confused and then flopped onto the kitchen floor.

"He said fall in, not fall down, dummy!" Lucy said while covering her eyes at his antics.

"It's trainee not dummy, Trainee Fabray." Buck reprimanded lightly the name calling. Lucy's lip trembled but Buck gave her his biggest grin, his dimples flashing.

"Yes, Sir!" She responded, flashing her own huge grin in return, glad that she hadn't made her uncle mad at her like she was always making her daddy lately.

He turned back towards his nephew whom was watching from his position on the floor. "Report in for duty, Trainee Evans." He said slightly differently and then picked the boy up by his underarms and deposited him right next to his cousin. He positioned Sam's arms at his side so the boy was standing at attention.

Lucy, not wanting to be left out dropped her hands from the tray to her side. Both kids were standing tall side-by-side at attention.

"Recruit Evans." Sam straightened up a little higher. "Report to Nana Fabray for KP duty."

"Yes, sir." Sam yelled loudly.

Bryan fought to keep a straight face as he leaned into Sam's space. The boy leaned back and grinned unable to keep a stern expression. "Sir, Yes, Sir." Bryan spoke.

"Sir, yes, Sir." Sam yelled and then frowned. "Uncle Buck what's KP duty?"

James smiled behind his coffee mug. He'd done a stint in Vietnam and new what Buck was doing. Clever.

Buck winked at Lucy as he extended one long finger towards the full kitchen sink.

Sam leaned forward to look around the standing frame to see what Buck was pointing at. He groaned and moaned.

"What's that Trainee Evans?"

"Sir, nothing, Sir."

"Uncle Buck?" Lucy broke in. "Sir, what's my duty, Uncle Buck, sir." She sounded confused by the name and was looking around the kitchen.

Bryan tapped the portable keyboard. "Marching music."

"Sir, yes, sir." Lucy saluted smartly before punching the power button, immensely pleased to show her uncle the song she's been practicing.

"That's not fair." Sam whined.

"Left face. Forward march!" Bryan gave the command while spinning smartly on his heal and marching forward. Sam ran to catch up.

James nearly choked on his coffee. It sounded like a seal barking and not human words.

Bryan marched Samuel around the kitchen a few times and up to his grandmother at the kitchen sink.

Lucy had been practicing the song for Buck since she knew he was coming home. Nana had sent off for it on CD and Lucy listened to it over and over, playing as much as she could. it was really only the melody, not the chords, but then she was only five and learning to play by ear wasn't easy. She could only just read English never mind music. With all her treatments, the Fabray's just couldn't afford music lessons for her right now.

Buck was busy instructing Sam how to do dishes the Air Force way when he heard Lucy play what definitely sounded like marching music. He didn't recognize it immediately, but then after a few notes, she started humming along and it was unmistakable for the man now.

He stopped mid order and Sam looked at him oddly. Angela was looking at her adopted son and simply nodded to him. "She's been practicing specially for you."

Buck had to breathe through the emotions trying desperately not to let go for a second or there would be tears, no doubt about it. He walked slowly back towards the standing frame where Lucy was playing the Air Force Song on her keyboard. It had been her Christmas present.

He didn't speak just stood and watched. She had her eyes closed and her tongue poked out as she remembered the notes. It wasn't perfect and she scowled to herself as she hit a wrong key, but she was playing from memory, having learned it by ear. And she was five. Buck was lost for words.

-GLEE-

Buck strode in through the house. He had been helping his father in the barn all afternoon and was hot and tired. He also wanted to do something nice for the kids. He had used up most of Sam's energy outside, getting him to fill the buckets with feed, but Sam kept looking at the house, clearly wondering if Lucy was okay. She seemed to be having a better day when they had eaten lunch.

He took a quick shower and made Sam get a dunk in there as well. Once they had dried off and changed, Buck went in search of his niece.

"Hey there, Lucy Q. How does a trip down the road to the ice cream parlor sound?"

"Can we go in your truck?" She looked hopeful, but Buck caught a look from his mother and father that told him it wasn't a good idea.

Buck thought about it for a moment. "I think we might be better in Papaw's truck. But I know for a fact that you just love rocky road and they have that exact flavour in that shop."

"They do?"

"They do. So how about it?"

"Can Sammy come too?"

"Of course." Buck saw Lucy put her book aside.

She was stretched out on the sofa with her wheelchair alongside.

"Shall I show you how strong I got already?"

He looked puzzled. She hadn't struck him as strong at all in fact just the opposite, but then he hadn't seen her at her worst.

"I didn't used to be able to get in myself," she pushed at her right leg until it dropped off the sofa and dangled off the edge. "Daddy or Mommy or Aunt Mary used to have to pick me up when I needed to go." The left leg was pushed off next, followed by a brief struggle to sit upright and grab the wheelchair. "Then I went to see the physical therapist a lot and he learned me to get in all by myself." She looked at Buck as he tried to smile.

Lucy looked down at her legs and sighed as only a frustrated five year old can. The movement had caused her legs to start to spasm. The left was just bouncing up and down but her right leg had straightened at the knee. She couldn't quite bend over properly because her hips were also tighter. "Lucy, sweetheart, don't try until it stops." Nana Angela didn't want her to fall.

The girl pouted and huffed with annoyance. The spasms lasted for about thirty seconds and no one seemed to make a fuss so Buck just watched Lucy trying to massage her thigh until it stopped. Eventually her right leg just dropped down, limp once more, with a thump as her heel hit the sofa. He winced but Lucy never even flinched.

Eventually she was satisfied that it had gone and began to move again. Pulling her weight from the sofa to the wheelchair was a mammoth effort for the tiny little arms but she managed without help and afterwards she had everyone congratulating her for doing it on her own.

Sam was a little jealous of all the attention Lucy was getting just because she got into the wheelchair, especially from his Uncle.

"Lucy Goosey, can't catch me even in your fancy chair," Sam stuck his tongue out at her and did a stupid dance to tease his cousin.

"Sammy, you are stu…silly!" Lucy crossed her arms and tried to ignore him, but he was still doing the stupid dance and poking fun at her by mocking her voice.

Her grandparents weren't coming to her rescue either. Sam played the clown a lot.

Lucy decided she had had enough and started towards him, catching the edge of the coffee table with the wheel of her chair and then the arm of the sofa as she headed towards a retreating Sam.

"I am so gonna get you Samuel Evans!"

She shot forwards before Buck realized the girl could move so fast in the damn chair and targeted the boy who was no longer pulling funny faces, but heading towards the dining table, with it's vase of fresh flowers and place settings out for dinner later. Buck saw an accident waiting to happen so he did the only thing he could think to do, only Lucy wasn't wearing her seatbelt.

Buck watched in horror as he grabbed the handle on the back of the chair to stop her hitting the table, but then he wasn't close enough to catch hold of her as she shot forwards. The lack of trunk control in his niece's lower body left her unable to react to the sudden stopping of the chair. She literally folded in half with her chest pinned to her knees unable to right herself.

Even Sam stopped dead in his tracks and looked stunned.

The only person who seemed able to move was James. He stood and went to Lucy, Buck was frozen wondering if he had done something to hurt her. "It's alright, Son. It happens all the time. She forgets herself and turns too quick or bends over to reach for something and the next thing, splat! She's toppled over or on the floor. At least you didn't tip her out this time."

He turned his attention to Lucy. "What's up, Buttercup?"

"I fell over," Lucy huffed.

"Are you okay, darlin'?" She nodded and tried to wriggle back into a sitting position, but she was struggling. James reached from behind and lifted under her arms to take some of her weight, but not all of it. "Push on the wheels, Lucy."

She did as was asked and pushed, her back lifting gradually. Once she was past a certain point, James let her go and she wriggled around some more until she was settled, then adjusted her legs which were now having another spasm in protest to all the jiggling around.

"Luce, I'm real sorry. I didn't mean to tip you over. I thought you were going to hit the table you went so fast."

Lucy turned to face her rather embarrassed uncle.

"It's alright. I fall over all the time." She gave him a toothy grin. "Can we go for ice cream now?"

He gave her little shoulder a squeeze. "Do I get a big hug?"

She nodded and held her arms out. He carefully hugged her and lifted her out all in one movement, then she gave him a big kiss on his cheek.

"Sam, get the chair, son. We're going for some rocky road!"

-GLEE-

The old pickup truck rattled its way down the country road towards its destination. The fact that the silver truck nicknamed 'the rust bucket' was moving at all was a testament to Bryan's hard work. The vehicle had been a non-runner when Bryan arrived at the farm years earlier and had been one of many projects James set the boy to work on in order to funnel his anger and energy constructively. Bryan was starting to see too much of himself in his nephew. He needed a project to funnel Sam's growing anger at being in a frustrating situation before the young boy imploded.

The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon as Bryan pulled into the gravel lane that led up to the neighbor's house. He spotted two figures near the tractor barn tinkering with the hulking machines and pulled to a stop nearby; the truck backfired loudly. He needed to show the rust bucket some more love before he headed to his next base in Maryland. Bryan wondered if he could get Sam to focus long enough to work on it with him; the five-year-old had the attention span of a gnat.

The door shut with a terrible squeak as he climbed down from the vehicle.

"Well I'll be damned. Look what the cat dragged in." Zeke Anderson jumped down from the combine and strode up to his long-time friend slapping him on the back, while ignoring his father's warnings about language.

Bryan didn't have to be born and bred Fabray to have perfected that famous quirked eyebrow which he directed at his friend.

He yanked his cowboy hat off his head and extended his hand to the farmer, "Mr. Anderson, sir."

"No need to 'Sir' me, son." The firm handshake was exchanged.

Buck straightened up even taller and grinned. "Yes, Sir." He wasn't trying to do it purposely; it was ingrained into him now.

The farmer was rubbing his hand over his chin in thought, looking at Bryan's head, but deep beneath the weathered face was amusement.

Bryan chuckled and ran his hand over the tiny swath of hair that barely covered the top of his head and then plopped his hat back on.

"It looks like the military's done you good, son."

"That it has, sir." Up until a few days ago, Bryan thought the military was the best decision he'd ever made and would have proudly told everyone who asked him. Now though, seeing his niece like she was, Bryan felt immense guilt for being absent so much.

"How long are you back for, Bry?" Zeke asked. Like many of the young men in the surrounding farming communities he was expected to either join the military or work on the family farm. He wanted to join up, but his parents were aging and he'd been forced to work the land.

"Just a couple weeks. Not nearly long enough." What Bryan didn't say was that while having his haircut he'd placed a couple phone calls to get the ball rolling on extending his leave. If Lucy was going to have surgery, like his sister was insisting on, then Bryan would be there. He might not be able to do much for Lucy herself, but Samuel and Frannie needed him just as much.

Bryan shook his head, not realizing he'd been starring off into the field, deep in his thoughts. He emerged a moment later. "Can you spare Zeke for," he glanced at his watch, "a half hour, Mr. Anderson?" He had a project he needed help with.

The farmer looked out onto the fields. Everyone in the community knew and respected James Fabray and therefore knew the plight of his young granddaughter. They all pitched in however they could. Sometimes it was just taking the family a meal, sometimes it was working part of the land so James was able to visit his granddaughter when she was in hospital. It wasn't much, but it meant the world to James and Angela that they had the community on their side. Zeke could be spared as long as he was needed.

Bryan's excitement grew as they climbed into the truck. Halfway back to the Fabray farm Zeke bit the dust and asked what was going on.

"I'm getting Lucy on a horse."

Zeke just stared at him until Bryan was forced to take his eyes off the lane.

"What? She's been on horses before."

Zeke had been around the farm, helping out when he could. He'd helped Dwight and James build the ramp in front of the farmhouse. He'd helped switch out the big queen-sized bed in the guest bedroom for two twin beds so that Lucy could stay the night.

"You do know that Lucy can't move her legs right? Like they move or something but not really." He motioned helplessly, he didn't really understand it.

Bryan was intimately aware of her condition; any doubt over the seriousness of it had evaporated the first night he was home.

Zeke wasn't trying to be mean. It was the truth. There was no way she would be able to stay balanced. He rushed on at the hurt look that flashed over Bryan's face. "I mean did you guys get that special saddle? Your pops talked about it but I think Russ didn't want to spend the money." Zeke didn't pry into other people's business, but James and his own father had discussed it one day. He'd happened to be nearby and overheard the whole conversation. The Anderson's were dirt poor, their farm was one of the smallest in the community, but he would have purchased the expensive saddle for the little girl if he could.

"Are you going to help?" Bryan gruffed out, but his eyes spoke of his pain.

Zeke wasn't offended, Bryan adored the little kids, he just didn't want to be responsible in the death a five year old, especially Russell Fabray's miracle child.

They were at the barn now. Zeke shook his head in wonderment at what he was about to do. "Sure buddy, anything for Luce."

Bryan clapped his friend on the back and jogged off toward the house leaving Zeke to sort things out in the barn.

"What are you doing?" Frannie whispered. The screen door creaking had woken her from her light slumber. Sleep had become a distant memory to the teenager. Her sister needed turning every few hours during the night and inevitably Frannie woke up when her mother or father did. She only slept deeply now when they stayed down in Lucy's room all night, but that was rare. The whole family was worn down.

Buck was trying to creep past her, but jumped when she whispered.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep," he whispered not wanting to wake his parents, who were sleeping in for once or Sam.

Frannie nodded ducking back under, but she didn't hear the stairs creaking as he ascended them. She tucked her head out just in time to see him disappear into the guest room.

Sam was curled up in a tiny ball, his green camouflage blanket tucked all around him. The boy was sound asleep. Buck scooped him up and silently darted up the stairs, depositing Sam onto his big queen bed. Sam simply rolled over, still asleep.

Frannie was waiting at the base of the stairs, her arms crossed over her chest. "That doesn't look like nothing, Buck. What's going on?"

Buck strode past her his long strides taking him quickly to the guest bedroom. Frannie looked all riled up, her hair a mess still in her pyjamas.

"I'm taking Lucy out to the barn."

"What?" Frannie whisper yelled. "She's finally sleeping. Just leave her be."

Bryan continued on towards the room.

"Wait. You can't just take her straight out of bed, you know?" Frannie lowered her voice so she didn't wake anyone else. "I don't mean to sound mad at you, but have any idea of how much effort it takes to get her up and ready to go out; she can't go to the bathroom on her own or get dressed without help."

"Just relax. Don't worry so much Francine. You don't have to be the adult all the time."

Frannie looked hurt. He never used her first name and he'd just broken open a giant sore spot in Frannie's psyche.

Bryan didn't stop, but asked to hurry up because Zeke was in the barn. He smirked at Frannie's gasp. The hall bathroom door closed a moment later.

Back in the bedroom he knelt down right next to Lucy's head. She was covered with the camo blanket. Bryan smiled at the giraffe's head sticking out from under it. Lucy's head was resting on the stuffed animal with one fist wrapped around the giraffe's ear. The ever present thumb was stuck in her mouth. She looked peaceful and for the first time Bryan almost backed out of his plan. He didn't want to wake her.

Frannie popped into the room, having set a land speed record for teenage girls getting dressed, just as Lucy blearily opened her eyes. A lazy smile emerged at seeing her uncle.

"Sssshhhh!" Bryan had his finger to his lips. "We have a surprize for you, but you need to keep quiet and not wake anyone else while Frannie helps you get ready okay?"

Lucy nodded with a big smile and threw the blanket off her body.

Frannie pulled the body of the giant stuffed animal out from between Lucy's legs and lifted her into the waiting wheelchair. She huffed and gave Bryan a look of annoyance that spoke of her wanting to lie in bed a while longer herself, but rolled the youngster out to the bathroom.

Just when Bryan thought that Frannie changed her mind and kept Lucy inside the screen door opened. Lucy wheeled herself down the ramp and dropped off into the gravel at the end. Bryan smiled as Lucy giggled slightly when Frannie tipped her back into a wheelie. He spun on the dirt in front of the barn as they neared.

A few moments later Lucy wheeled herself into the barn, actually Frannie was nudging the chair from behind though Lucy paid no mind. She spotted Zeke near the horse and pushed even harder to reach him.

"Zeke!" She screeched. The horse looked at her unconcerned, but Frannie thumped her on the head.

"Stop screeching." She ground out. It was way to early for loud noises.

"Hey there, Luce." Zeke squatted down and hugged the little girl. When he backed away, she was all smiles.

"Hey Frannie." Zeke smiled at the older girl.

Frannie ducked her eyes for a moment, then tucked her hair behind her ear. "Hi Zeke."

Lucy tried to shift round to see her sister, her voice sounded weird.

Buck bit back his chuckle, Frannie looked like she was going to pass out. His niece was beautiful though she rarely saw it in herself. He crossed around to Lucy and nudged the flustered Frannie out of the way, pushing Lucy over to where'd been preparing Whitner for the ride.

Lucy looked at the horse confused. The saddle was on the ground where Buck dropped it. "Are you riding him?"

"Uh huh." He squatted near her, "so are you."

"Cool!" Lucy did her version of bouncing in her seat up until Bryan picked up the saddle and moved back over to the horse.

Lucy looked at Whitner with a mixture of trepidation and worry. The horse was gentle but big. She was no longer scared of him but sat down she barely came to his underbelly. She started chewing on her thumbnail, a nervous habit she'd developed recently.

Frannie was shaking her head in dismay. This was all going to end badly. Her parents would surely kill her if she let anything happen to Lucy.

"I don't know Bryan," she said; her voice clearly revealing her inner thoughts. "Grandpa said Lucy needs a special saddle to ride."

"Yeah, I d-don't want t-to ride him anymore." Lucy stuttered while gripping her wheels and starting to back away. Whitner moved with her closing the distance she'd just created. He nudged her right hand lightly away from the tire.

Bryan smiled down at his niece trying to portray the confidence he felt. "See, Whitner wants you to ride him."

Frannie shook her head at all this. "I'm riding Henry then." She started off to grab her saddle from the tack room. She was going with them, even if she had to ride her grandfather's horse. The big black mare wasn't fond of her.

Zeke wasn't saying anything, it wasn't his place, but he was thinking the same thing as Frannie; this was a horrible idea.

"Uncle Buck." Lucy was looking at the saddle. There was nothing to hold her feet from moving all over the place.

He was contemplating how to hoist his niece up onto the horse's back. He turned to look at her.

She wore an extremely pensive look, instead of the excitement he was hoping to see he saw fear, she was biting her lip now. Buck dropped the reigns and squatted down so that he wasn't towering over her.

"What is it Luce?"

She pointed at the stirrups then her legs. "You have to tie 'em down."

"What do you mean?"

She pulled her legs up until her knees touched her chest and then let go. Her skinny legs dropped with gravity, her shoes slapping heavily onto the footrest. "They're floppy." The almost six year old stated without emotion. It was a fact.

Frannie ducked her head down. She'd seen the sick look flash over Bryan's face. She felt it too. It was pity for her sister that nestled deep within the pits of her being. She knew Lucy didn't want or even understand why people pitied her. The five-year-old accepted that her legs didn't work because she didn't have a choice. Everyone tried to shelter Lucy from the world and yet Lucy was just moving on with it.

"So how are we doing this?" Zeke cut in, trying to focus everyone on the task at hand; securing the paralyzed girl to the horse without the proper equipment.

"I'll grab some straps." Buck rushed off towards the house all the while berating himself. He felt absolutely sick with he didn't even know what, he couldn't process it. How was Lucy so nonchalant as she moved her legs in ways that legs shouldn't be able to move?

He re-entered the barn a moment later, all put back together with his emotions sorted as well as they could be. What none of the kids, including Frannie, didn't know was that late in the night Mary had shown up to tell them that Russell agreed to the pain pump surgery. It was being scheduled for as soon as possible. He'd listened to everything that it entailed and frankly the possible complications scared the young man. That was the driving force behind this half-brained quest to get the girl back on the horse.

"Got 'em." He stated brightly walking back towards the group. Frannie was blushing furiously as Zeke motioned wildly with his hands. The teenager had a huge crush on the older boy, Buck could see that plain as day. He held his smirk.

Lucy was watching Whitner as he nuzzled into her neck. When she was first around him after her illness, she'd been very afraid of him. The horse had been equally afraid of her wheelchair. It had taken a bag of carrots to overcome the mutual fear of each other.

_Lucy was visiting the farm for the first time since she was released from the hospital; the regular Sunday get togethers had been on hold. She was so excited that she could barely contain herself and had chatted excitedly the whole car ride over to her grandparents' farm. Russell and Judy were relieved that Lucy seemed to be holding up on energy that day._

_It was just after lunch, Frannie and Sam were already outside, Frannie on her horse and Sam was getting a lesson on the little pony. Lucy was insanely jealous as she'd started to ride the pony just weeks before her fall at the park._

_Judy was out with Dwight and Mary watching the lesson but Russell was inside with his mother. Lucy was resting on Russell's lap, the chair off in the corner, her lip stuck out in a pout that spoke of volumes to the tantrum that was building within, yet she really looked incredibly adorable at the same time. The adults were trying to not laugh knowing that it would make the little girl pout even more._

_Angela turned away from the refrigerator, a bag of carrots in her hands, and smiled at her granddaughter._

_"Do you want to see the horses, sweetie?"_

_Lucy might not be able to ride the horses just yet, but everyone was trying to keep things normal for the girl._

_Lucy nodded, her eyes lighting up with excitement. Staying inside all the time even though she slept most of her days away was awfully boring for a five-year-old._

_The carrots went in the little backpack that stayed on the back of Lucy's wheelchair as Russell chose to carry her like he preferred. Lucy never complained; she'd always found comfort in her daddy's arms. _

_Soon they were outside near the horses, Angela having pushed the chair as her son's arms were bound to wear out from carrying Lucy after a while. _

_Frannie came up with Whitner, but didn't dismount. Russell shifted his precious cargo around so that she could reach out and touch the horse. It nibbled on her fingertips for a minute and she giggled loudly. Frannie soon got bored and wandered off slightly leaving the horse as she often did once they were in the confines of the paddock._

_Russell grew tired and sat Lucy down in her wheelchair. He had to school his face, not wanting her to see how much it upset him to adjust her limp legs and move her feet into position for her. Lucy wasn't paying attention and watched Sam on the pony. Dwight was walking beside him and Papaw was leading the horse. She could hear her cousin's loud chatter from where she sat. She was pretty much stuck now, unable to push hard enough to move the chair over the rutted dirt._

_After a while Lucy grew bored, everyone having wandered slightly away. Frannie, who'd dismounted but left the saddle on Whitner as she was going to ride him again, was over by Sam contributing to the lesson and her mom and dad were in what seemed to be an in-depth conversation with her Aunt._

_She gripped her wheels and pushed with all her might but barely moved, her front wheels dropping into a deep rut. The motion bounced her forward but the seat belt kept her secure._

_"Ugh." The little girl grunted out with the jolt._

_She pulled back, but she was weak from her illness and her arms tiny. The chair rolled back into the rut forcing another grunt at the motion. She tried to tip onto the back wheels like when everyone rolled the chair off a curb and threw her shoulders back hard, but all that happened was the anti-tippers bounced her forwards again and the castors dropped back in the rut making a little clunking noise as they touched down._

_Whitner was pretty curious and approached slowly. The chair bounced again and he darted away, but a moment later he came back even closer._

_The horse towered over her and Lucy held her breath too afraid to move. She'd never been afraid of the pony, but it was much smaller than the American quarter horse. _

_Whitner sniffed at her hair and nudged at her head. Lucy just managed to keep herself upright, but her legs chose that moment to start moving of their own accord. The left leg kicked out as her right bounced up and down harshly on the footrest. _

_The sudden movement startled the large horse and he darted away kicking up dust that the wind blew straight into Lucy's face._

_The adults came running at the wheezing and coughing; Lucy was struggling to catch her breath._

_"That's enough now, we're going inside," Russell demanded already starting to move Lucy back to safety._

_"No, daddy!" Lucy grabbed at her tires, but was forced to let go as Russell ignored her._

_"Wait!" Frannie spoke up. It was nice to see her sister outside for once instead of being locked up in the house most of the time. "What happened, Luce?" She was kneeling down in front of her sister and tentatively reached out to get the sneaker clad feet back in place. Up until that moment she hadn't worked up the nerve to touch her sister's legs. She was slightly startled as they moved so freely. A sickening feeling built in her stomach and she thought she might be sick for a brief moment. The legs felt like jello in her hands. _

_Frannie looked over at the horse; he shook his head up and down and snorted a couple times._

_Everyone recognized it as the horse warning them that he was scared and looking for danger._

_"He nudged me and my legs..." Lucy motioned at them "…went all spazzy." _

_"Lucy, you shouldn't use that word. It's not very nice." Frannie climbed to her feet and approached the horse slowly, while everyone else was trying to get Russell to stay for a moment, it was obvious that Frannie had a plan. Finally James interceded and told everyone to be quiet. Even Sam stopped his bouncing around._

_"Hey, buddy." Frannie slowly stroked the horse's nose. It nuzzled up against her neck, much like he was trying to do with Lucy a moment earlier. "You want to check out Lucy's nifty ride?" The horse playfully whinnied, much calmer now that Frannie was around. Frannie led the horse over slowly taking her time._

_Lucy bit her lip while straining to look up meanwhile the adults prayed that the little girl's legs wouldn't start up again. It was a strange moment for them; the legs they desperately hoped would function again soon, needed to be still for a few minutes._

_Lucy held up her hand towards him feeling much braver now that her dad and grandpa were nearby. The horse sniffed and whinnied again, lips curling back to reveal the huge teeth briefly, the whiskers twitching and tickling Lucy's outstretched palm._

_Whitner dropped his head lower then over Lucy's shoulder and sniffed, then raised his head in what curiously looked like the horse laughing. He was excited about something._

_"Carrots!" she grinned. "I forgot them when he got scared." She twisted round, one leg pulling up slightly with the movement of her hips, leaving it hanging short of the footrest as she reached around and unhooked one side of the backpack. James reached forwards to help her but she stopped him._

_"I can do it on my own Papaw," she twisted the other way, her opposite leg now dislodged from its resting position. Lucy's legs started up again, both of them straightening out in front and bouncing around. She groaned, Whitner spooked again, only not as much because Frannie kept a firm hold on him. _

_Reaching down, her fingers were short of the backpack which had dropped to the floor. She waved her right hand to grab it, but it was too low while her balance was preserved by the left hand clinging to the chair. The seatbelt was firmly fastened and kept her in place, so she just let go with the left and let herself lean right over to grab the bag. Only the seatbelt preserved her from falling to the dusty ground._

_Instead of trying to lift the bag, which would have been impossible given her tiny size and precarious position, she unfastened the top and took out two carrots. Swapping them from one hand to the other, she dropped them between her legs and then pulled herself back round to the front. She was still doubled over and her little audience watched on, ready to jump in at any moment and restore her position. It was a slow process, but she managed to force her body upright herself in several short increments._

_It was the first time any of them had seen her able to do that; sheer stubbornness on Lucy's part had driven her forwards._

_Holding out the carrot to the now settled horse, Whitner move his head forwards and sniffed, before approaching. Lucy knew to keep her finger out of the way and held the carrot sideways in her open palm. Whitner snagged it and chomped it in a single move, then didn't even wait for Lucy to offer the second, he simply reached between her now still knees and took the other one. He kept his head low for her to stroke his nose as he chewed away on the carrot._

_The rest of them just watched. Maybe they had been too overprotective of Lucy and not pushed her enough before now. All she needed was the motivation and she was so stubborn that even a little awkwardness and discomfort could be overcome._

_"See I said I could do it myself," Lucy turned to them all triumphantly and Whitner once again drew back his top lip and whinnied in agreement._

Buck was up on the horse in no time and motioning Zeke to lift her up to him. Zeke looked down at the girl.

"Luce, I don't want to hurt you," he tipped his hat backwards and crouched beside her. "I can tell your Uncle Buck to take a flying leap if you don't want to ride."

Lucy looked up at the horse and remembered how she used to be scared but wasn't so much now and Uncle Buck wouldn't let her fall, he was very strong and loved her heaps.

"I want to now."

"Okay," Zeke was trying to work out how to lift her up, there wasn't a whole lot to her after all, he just wasn't sure if he might hurt her when he did.

Taking her out of the chair from the side, he kept a hand behind her knees and the other under her arm. As he suspected, she weighed nothing hardly and he was able to raise her to the height of the saddle. Buck took Lucy's nearest leg and slipped it over the horn and then pulled her arm to get her the rest of the way. Once he had hold of her, Zeke straightened out her other leg. The girl held onto the horn tightly, afraid to move in case she fell off.

"Relax, Luce. I got you." Buck took the strap he had found in his kit bag and fastened it around her waist back to front, crossed it over and then brought it back over her thighs so her legs didn't bounce around. Her feet were miles away from the stirrups so they would have to stay loose. He then tightened the strap around his own hips so she was secured to him. With his feet in the stirrups, she was now secure.

Buck forgot how easily he knocked Lucy over the day before and leaned over to make an adjustment. Lucy started to go, and shrieked, but the belt around her waist tethering her to him kept her in place. He pulled a face and Henry pranced at the sound; it was loud.

Frannie gained control of Henry with a gruff warning to her sister. "Enough of the squealing, dweeb! You'll shatter the windows if you do that again."

Lucy pouted at her sister briefly, but it soon morphed into a grin as Buck set Whitner walking forwards.

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

Ashley Fines closed the file and placed it on her desk prepared to meet her newest patient, six year old Lucy Fabray. Though she did not specialize in clients with paralysis per se, she had helped a fair amount tiny patients with neuromuscular impairments and looked forward to this challenging case. That was what the file was; a case. Now she was going out to meet her patient as the little ones were hardly ever just cases to her. That was one of the reasons she went into pediatric physical therapy.

Russell glared at the receptionist as she asked him a million questions that he'd already answered on the phone the week before. He refused to continue to drive the distance to the physical therapist that had done absolutely nothing for his daughter over the last year. It was a waste of gas money and all that they'd gained from it was a very expensive surgery. He was hemorrhaging money right and left.

"Alright, I just need your insurance card, Mr. Fabray, to make a copy and the therapist will be right out."

The receptionist smiled warmly at the little blonde and gave her a wave. The little girl gave her a grin revealing her two top front teeth were missing. She was the picture of cuteness.

Russell heaved another sigh and slapped his card onto the counter.

Mary tried to dissuade him from leaving the specialist in spinal cord injury rehabilitation for a generalized therapist; she was convinced now that Lucy's pain was mostly under control, therapy would go much more smoothly and Lucy would be able to regain some muscle control back. She was honest with herself though and she kept it from everyone but Dwight, over a year had past and she was concerned too much time was lost; Lucy might never walk again even with assistance. She was focused on quality of life, better trunk control, and controlling the leg spasms that tended to still plague the girl though not nearly as badly as before the surgery. She sought out the best therapist she could find within Russell's maximum 45 minute radius, relying heavily on her contacts in the medical world.

He'd barely settled back in his seat, shoving his insurance card back into his wallet, when the door to the large gym opened and a woman with dark brown hair and bright green eyes came out. She wore a bright smile and headed straight towards Lucy sat in her wheelchair in a t-shirt and jeans. She immediately spotted some changes that needed to be made to position the small child better in the chair, but that would be addressed later.

"Good morning." The other adults were all stood towering over Lucy who was straining up at them, her eyes squinting at her father. Ashley squatted down until she was on eye-level with the girl. "Hmm," she rubbed her chin, "I was looking for a six year old, but you must be what seven? No, eight. Are you nine?"

The blonde pulled her eyes away from her father and tentatively smiled. "I'm six! My birthday was last month, and Sammy jumped really high on the trampoline. And then he crashed and went boom!"

Lucy threw her hands out widely with her words and nearly lost her balance, catching her hands back on the chair so she didn't tip over.

"You are?" She wiped imaginary sweat from her brow. "Oh good, you must be Lucy Fabray."

"Uh huh."

The therapist turned to the sulking boy in a full length olive green arm cast, sitting as close to Lucy as possible. "And you must be Sammy?"

He pouted, but nodded anyway. "I went crunch not boom," he said with a little boy sigh.

Lucy giggled.

She turned back to Lucy, "Well I am so glad you came to see me. My name is Ashley and we are going to have so much fun today."

Lucy frowned, and Ashley immediately picked up on the doubt. There were extensive notes in the file on the desk that detailed the issues with muscle spasms and pain that stalled the girls progress. She doubted that Lucy's therapy before the surgery was much fun at all. Ashley planned on changing that.

"Are you ready to play some games with me?"

Lucy perked up, a small smile replacing the frown, and nodded eagerly.

Ashley stood then and introduced herself to the adults in the room. While Russell was not impressed at all that the woman had failed to introduce herself to the adults first, Mary on the other hand was very impressed that she immediately established a relationship with Lucy.

They followed her down a hallway, with Russell pushing the wheelchair with the handles in the back. She added it to the list of things to address with the Fabray's.

Sam looked around in awe. This room had exercise equipment and mats like the other place they went to, but it also had toys; lots of toys. It was brightly colored on the walls, and there were balls of every size and shape and color. There were jump ropes and hula hoops and he spotted several bean bags. He was beaming with excitement to play with them, but his uncle frowned at him, and Sam deflated. He stuck his finger down the top of his cast trying to get at the itch with no luck.

"So let's get you up here." She led the way to an elevated padded table where Russell was about to pick Lucy up and put her down. "Let's get her to try herself, Mr Fabray. We need to get Lucy much more independent now her pain is manageable."

Russell scowled a little at the woman for challenging him and stalked over to a chair in the corner with the other adults.

So far Lucy wasn't having fun and her attention was drifting. The therapist adjusted the height of the bench to match the seat of Lucy's chair and turned to look the girl in the eye.

"So Lucy, I think we should strike a deal with your cousin. If you get from your chair to this bench, he buys you ice cream, but if yo don't you buy him some ice cream. How about it?"

Lucy grinned but then her face fell a little. "But Sammy hasn't got no pennies for ice cream. He broke his piggy bank playing football with it."

Mary heard her niece. "Don't worry Lucy, I'll give Samuel some money to buy you an ice cream."

"Okay," she shrugged her little shoulders. "But I don't really know how to do it."

Ashley showed Lucy where to put her hands and encouraged her to move her legs in a position to make it easier to slide over. Now that her legs were less sensitive to the touch, Lucy was happier to lift them around herself.

The therapist watched how the girl moved, noticing she had very little control of her hips and lower spine, even though the spinal cord lesion was fairly low down. That definitely went to the top of the list.

Once Lucy was on the bench, Ashley started stretching the little girls legs and hips, testing the residual movement and strength as she went. She didn't make a big deal out of it, instead she distracted the girl with talk of the birthday party and Sammy's unfortunate injury.

When she was finished, Ashley lowered the table down and asked Lucy to sit up and scoot to the edge. The aunt and mother had watched with interest, though the mother looked like she wanted to cry. The father sat watching but with an intense grimace on his face. She wanted to get them all involved so Lucy's therapy could continue at home as well to speed things along.

"Mr. Fabray, can you come and sit right here on Lucy's right." She indicated the rolling stool she pulled up. Lucy looked at her father eagerly and with slight surprise that he was going to help. It was usually her mother or aunt.

He crossed his arms over his chest, "Mary's a nurse, she's better at this stuff."

"Ahh, but we need you all to help. Judy if you will sit here." She indicated the stool to the left. Judy got up and moved over, but Russell still didn't move.

"Lucy, do you want your daddy to help?"

Lucy remembered when he held her in his arms like she was the most precious thing in the world as he massaged her legs to relieve the muscle spasms. No one thought she remembered that, but she did. She wanted to feel like that again. Instead he was just frustrated with her. She looked at her Aunt Mary who nodded with a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, daddy, please?"

Russell grumbled something too low to be heard, the woman grated on his last nerves, but he came over and sat down harshly on the stool.

The man reminded the therapist of a little kid throwing a temper tantrum, much like some of her patients did sometimes, but they, at least, had an excuse. On an adult it just seemed petty.

She grabbed a ball, slightly smaller than a basketball, and walked back to them. Lucy was watching her every move with a small smile.

"We're going to play catch, Lucy."

The smile turned into a grin and Lucy nodded enthusiastically.

"I want you to toss the ball high in the air like I'm about to do." She tossed the ball high in the air with both hands and the caught it over her head as it came down with both hands.

Lucy pouted, "I can't stand up."

"That's okay for now, you can just do this sitting instead." She climbed onto the bench behind the girl. "Now, when I say go, you're going to toss it to your dad..."

Russell thought it was ridiculous and not remotely helping Lucy. How was it okay for her to stay sitting? He wanted her up on her feet so they could be a normal family again. His thoughts were interrupted by a buzzing noise from his jacket pocket. He held his hand up to interrupt proceedings before Ashley could finish her sentence.

"I need to take this call, it's work." He didn't even apologize, simply stood and walked out of the gym to his car. "Yeah just give me a moment to get outside. I'm stuck in yet another physical therapists office with my youngest."

Judy blushed with embarrassment and apologized for her husband. "I'm sorry Ashley. He doesn't mean to be rude. He's just under a lot of stress right now with everything." She threw her hands in the air.

Ashley nodded and let Mary take the man's place which made Lucy smile again after the disappointment of her dad leaving.

"Okay, that's fine. Ready to throw the ball?"

Lucy nodded and threw the ball to her mom, losing balance slightly afterwards as momentum carried her to the right. Ashley helped her sit back up and spoke to her about how to keep control.

"I'm going to try to push you to the right Lucy and I want you to try and stop me. I'll be gentle, you won't fly off the bench okay?" Ashley put a little pressure on the girl's shoulders and tried to tilt her off balance. She felt Lucy resist, though not a lot. "Try harder Lucy please. I know it's difficult, but you can do it." This little girl needed pushing, both literally and metaphorically.

Lucy tried her best, feeling the therapist gradually increase how hard she pushed. They repeated it several time on each side and then backwards and forwards as well, Ashley switching out with both Judy and Mary to show them.

"Okay so that's enough of that for today, how about we try keepy-uppies?"

Lucy squinted at the nice therapist lady. "What's a keepy-uppie?"

Ashley's eyes went wide and then she showed Lucy how to balance a bean bag on her knee and try to lift it as long as possible without it slipping off.

Lucy was able to do it for a few seconds on her right leg, but the left refused to lift from the bench at all. A tear ran down the little pale face in disappointment.

Judy placed an arm around her daughter and gave her a little hug. "It's okay, darling. You did really well. It's just that silly old left leg being stubborn."

Lucy wiped her eyes with her arm. "Do I still get an ice cream?"

Three months later...

The little blonde boy sat beside his mom on the hard plastic chairs in the big therapy room. His feet kicked endlessly back and forth in the air. He wanted to play with the big balance balls like he'd seen his cousin sitting on earlier but every time he asked, his mom told him to sit still, be quiet and he could play at home because the balls weren't for play. It didn't make any sense to him.

He was bored. He traced over the comic book in his hands, his fingers touching the pages in anticipation. Batgirl, now called Oracle, sat in a wheelchair in front of a cool computer but he had no idea what she was saying. He could read the big bubble above her head, but by the time he got to the end of the sentence he had forgotten what the beginning was about. He really wished Lucy would hurry up so he could ask her to read it to him, she was a quick reader compared to him.

His attention was drawn to his cousin's wheelchair, sitting empty, a few feet away. He glanced down at the page, before scrutinizing Lucy's chair. They didn't look the same. Batgirl's was big and plain and decidedly not cool. Lucy's was tiny but then again Lucy was tiny so that made sense. The spokes on the wheels were hot pink and the little wheels in front flashed when they moved. Hers had tall handles on the back that sometimes one of the adults would use to push if Lucy grew tired. Frannie, even painted a cool cartoon Lucy on the back in fabric paints.

He glanced back at the comic deciding that Lucy's chair was much cooler. He thought maybe Lucy would grow up to be like Batgirl, fighting crime from her wheelchair. She was the smartest six year old he knew.

"It hurts." Lucy's whine caused him to look up. She was sort of standing in front of the walker with Ashley holding onto Lucy's hips. Sam bristled slightly. He didn't like it when she was in pain, even if that happened a lot less now.

"No pain, no gain," Ashley replied.

"You always say that," the girl grumbled.

"I know, but since I started saying that to you, you are standing up instead of sitting in the wheelchair. You couldn't do that when you first came."

His feet slowed their swinging until they stopped completely. His mother smiled down at him but he scowled, focusing back on Lucy. Lucy crossed her eyes in annoyance at her glasses slipping down her nose while she stared at her stubborn legs; she couldn't see much without her glasses and if they slipped off completely she'd take forever to bend down and pick them up. Ashley told everyone she had to do it herself and no one was allowed to help anymore.

Ashley wanted her to take ten steps that afternoon, but Lucy didn't want to move her legs, they felt sore when she stood for a while, and they didn't want to move much for her no matter how hard she tried; they were jelly, all wobbly and useless. She just wanted them to put her back in her chair so she could roll around quickly again.

Sam worried his lip when she lifted her hand to push the annoying glasses up; with only one hand supporting her, she immediately wobbled forwards and backwards before tipping sideways. His breath caught afraid she'd fall. She'd bust her nose once when she was learning to use her chair without the belt around her; when she fell her nose went into the coffee table at Nana Angela's. He thought it was cool, the amount of blood everywhere but then it was Lucy's blood so that wasn't cool. Ashley stopped her fall but Lucy still looked really tired her breathing coming out in hitches, sweat beading on her forehead.

Sam jumped to his feet starting towards his cousin but Mary pulled him back by his arm, which had healed fully now.

"It's okay, Mary." Ashley replied, moving in front of Lucy on a stool on wheels. She was pushing against the front of Lucy's knees now, whilst her assistant took over the hips behind.

Emboldened, he ran to the spot that they'd indicated earlier that was their goal for his cousin to walk to. These adults didn't know how to get his cousin to move.

"Lucy Goosey!" He taunted, sticking his thumbs in his ears and jumping side to side.

"Samuel!" His mother scolded him gently but the therapists chuckled; they were used to his antics and thought it might get Lucy to push past the pain.

Sam knew she hated being called names. She scowled at him. He stuck his tongue out blew a raspberry.

The corner of her mouth quirked higher and she fixed her eyes on him.

"Nah nah nah boo boo." He taunted, fully knowing that she could still beat him up if she caught him. He'd let her too. She stuck her tongue out at him before frowning down at her legs.

Sam jumped around landing with as much energy as he could when she slowly moved her right leg forward, her ankle immediately rolled, but Ashley held her foot so she could finish the movement. Mary sucked in her breath as she did it and everyone else beamed at her.

"You can do it Lucy!" Sam cried out, jumping up and down with excitement. She glanced at him again and he nodded at her, his thumbs still stuck in his ears like some silly moose. Sam thought he heard her growl at him but he didn't care.

Despite his constant jumping up and down, his breath caught in his chest when her left leg barely moved. The therapist encouraged her to try again, this time helping lift her knee, the toes of her left foot caught on the floor, worse than the right, but again Ashley helped flick her leg forwards. Sam jumped up and down in excitement. She was a full step closer to him.

Lucy was in pain and shaking badly but she looked up at him and he crossed his eyes at her and stuck his tongue out again. She giggled despite the grimace of discomfort.

A few minutes later, Sam Evans stopped his silly jumping around when his little cousin bumped the walker into his legs.

Mary released a breath she didn't realize she was holding when her son and niece collapsed into each other in a fierce hug. Two blonde heads tumbled to the padded ground, chests heaving in exhaustion. One from the exertion it took to get her broken body to move, the other from doing what it took to get his cousin to push past her fears.

Neither kid lasted more than a few seconds on the car ride home before sleep claimed them.

-GLEE-

Sam ran towards his cousin as soon as his class exited the school, despite his teacher reprimanding him to walk. He had boundless energy; his mother was always calling him the energizer bunny. He simply couldn't contain it; he didn't listen and took off at a run. He slowed when her teacher frowned at him, but he couldn't help grinning at her, his soccer ball tucked under arm. He wanted to show her what they did in gym class.

"Did you get 'em?" He asked, hopping from one foot to the other in front of her; she was sitting on the sidewalk between the wheels of her walker.

Lucy nodded and grinned up at him.

Sam tossed his soccer ball onto the grass beside her before dropping onto his knees in front of her.

"Let me see 'em," he instructed, but before Lucy could respond, he noticed something missing then added. "Hey, you lost it." He poked at her cheek realizing one of her bottom teeth was now missing. She had been wiggling at it for days. He'd wrestled her to the ground a couple days ago and tried to yank it out for her, but his mother walked in on them and freaked out. He'd been grounded over the weekend because of it. His dad had to leave early for a business meeting and his uncle was in a rotten mood. Sam missed her.

Her eyes lit up and she held up her hand, fingers splayed out wide. "The tooth fairy gave me five whole dollars."

"What?" He screeched. "I only got one dollar!" He'd lost his first tooth a week ago and had been so proud of his dollar.

"No! You got a dollar and that." Her right hand pointed to the soccer ball lying in the grass before quickly returning to its previous position on the sidewalk beside her as she wobbled. Her balance was improving, but she still had a ways to go.

Her teacher made a noise, but when he looked up at her she was watching some of the other kids climb onto the school buses.

"Okay, fine." He bounced slightly on his knees. "Show 'em to me!"

His mom had homeschooled Lucy for the first part of the year but now she was coming to school instead. They weren't in the same class though and he hated that he couldn't look out for her. He knew some of the kids in her class made fun of her because she walked funny and often spent lunch and recess in the wheelchair. His teacher let him sit with her at lunchtime instead of staying with his class. The tables were really close together and she had to sit near the door of the cafeteria. So Sam and their friend Kyle, who lived on the same street as them and some of the girls in her class, were allowed to sit with her normally.

Today though, Lucy hadn't been at lunch. She had been to the hospital instead, getting her new leg braces so she could walk better. His uncle told him, as he'd dropped them off at school that morning, and he was desperate to see them.

"Okay." She tugged at her left leg, pulling it up under the hollow of her knee letting it fall out to the side half Indian style and began working the hem of her jeans up. Sam moved her right leg out of the way and shifted on his knees until he sat opposite of his cousin with his legs up against her hips.

"It's pink!" He gasped when she'd finally managed to get her jean leg pulled up to reveal the plastic brace, that covered much of her lower leg, before bringing her hand down, resting it on his leg to steady herself.

Actually it was hot pink with teal swirls and gold stars and flecks throughout the hardened plastic.

She touched the teal blue strap going across the front of her shin, just below her knee. "And teal." She gave him a cheeky grin. It was teal, not blue, which Frannie had made sure to tell her when she was picking out the colors.

Sam didn't understand his cousin's love affair with pink though it matched her walker. The handlebars and back legs were hot pink and the front legs where shiny teal. Frannie had stuck little princess and ballerina stickers on the legs. In fact her jacket was pink too. On the weekends, Frannie would hang pink and white streamers off the back bar, but they had to take them off during the week for school.

"Whatever, it's too girly." He poked at the plastic near her ankle and she smacked his hand away.

"I'm a girl, dummy!"

Her teacher made that noise again and he looked at her. She was hiding her smile behind her hand, her eyes bright. Sam grinned at her.

"What's that?" He poked at the trail of gold behind one of the stars. "Your star is pooping gold." He laughed.

"Samuel Evans." The teacher reprimanded him.

"Oops." He'd forgotten about adult ears.

"No, silly." Lucy laughed, tracing the pattern with her finger. "It's stardust to make me stronger."

"There's no such thing as stardust. You're making it up!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Sammy!" Lucy whined. Sam grinned, fist pumping the air. He made a bet with Kyle that his cousin couldn't go a full day without getting whiney at him. Sam loved teasing her and took every opportunity to do it, much to his parents chagrin. Now Kyle owed him his newest Batman comic.

"Alright, guys. Lucy, your dad's here." Lucy's teacher interrupted them while motioning over their shoulder. "Grab your ball, Sam."

Lucy squinted past him, but didn't respond. Sam looked over his shoulder. Uncle Russ was leaning up against his car looking impatiently between his watch and a file folder. He scratched his chin in thought and then sat back down into the driver's side seat.

"Okay." Sam mumbled while scrambling out of the way and over to where his soccer ball had been tossed. He dribbled it back and forth between his feet as he watched the teacher squat in front of his cousin, tucking her feet up underneath her. The teacher stood up, her arms under Lucy's armpits, pulling her upright with Lucy able to provide some strength herself, it was getting easier.

Sam slowly let out his breath when the teacher kept a firm grip on his cousin until she was holding the handlebars on her walker. Lucy's teacher tightened the strap that went around her waist at the front of the pelvic support and smiled over at him.

Sam looked at the ground, his ears turning bright red at being caught staring at the teacher. He just hated how she needed the help. His mother told him he didn't have to be her protector, but whatever. It was his duty to protect her.

Sam felt anger surge through him and kicked the ball harder than he intended. It shot out past Lucy into the street and he darted for it, but collided with her teacher instead as she stepped into his path, stopping him from moving into the street.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"Stay here. I'll get the ball."

A moment later, she handed him the ball with a warning to hold onto it.

Sam rushed the few feet to where Lucy was walking up the sidewalk towards his uncle's car. He twirled in front of her until she laughed and told him to stop it.

Her teacher disappeared into the school, and Sam dropped the ball back onto the sidewalk, kicking it in a wide arc until he was behind Lucy.

"Ugh. Why'd he park so far away?" Lucy grunted.

Sam turned away from the playground with a scowl and looked past his cousin towards his uncle, realizing for the first time that he'd parked at the top of the hill. Sure there was a whole string of cars along the curb leading up to the school, but his mom or Aunt Judy would have found a way to get closer. He was getting a baby brother soon and his mom and aunt were away for the week relaxing, which Sam knew was code for shopping.

Uncle Russ had been in a bad mood a lot lately. It had started after Uncle Buck's accident. Uncle Buck had been fun to play with, not being nearly as ancient as his Uncle Russ and Aunt Judy or his mom and dad. His mom had told them that Uncle Buck had been in an accident and had to go to heaven so they wouldn't be able to see him anymore. They missed him a lot now and no one talked about him around Uncle Russ anymore. Mary had spoken to the children, without going into details about her adopted younger brother, Bryan. To the kids he had always been Uncle Buck.

He'd been a late addition to James and Angela Fabray's household, arriving after Russell had already gone off to college. Russell knew some of the teenager's history, but only what the rough kid chose to tell him. It wasn't much, just that he'd grown up in inner city Cleveland. Bryan was a victim of the projects and drug-addicted parents. Yet Russell had managed with the love of his parents and sister, to turn around the troubled youngster's life.

Instead of the life of crime he had been heading towards, the time on the Fabray farm had instilled an impeccable work ethic in Bryan. He went into the military and had been excelling, he'd even begun to mentor local high school boys near the military base in Maryland he was stationed at, until a simple car accident had killed him.

If Mary was sad, Russell was devastated, but too uptight to show his grief. It had never been his strong point. With his sister about to give birth to her second child, Russell was also missing his wife to share the burden of looking after Lucy. And then there were, Frannie's bizarre mood swings, which meant she was worse than useless when it came to helping out either with her sister or household chores. Russell had been forced into bribery to get Frannie to stack the dishwasher after breakfast that morning.

So while Judy was off with Mary getting ready for the new baby, Russell was trying to balance the needs of his well-paid but time-consuming job along with the paying the household bills and medical bill. In addition had come the physical demands placed upon him by a child who was still physically dependent, even if she wasn't in need of total care over recent months.

Sam was glad Lucy could walk again after last year when she had to be in the wheelchair all the time. Still, she was struggling with the distance and slope up to the car now. He could see his Uncle Russ impatiently look at his watch and get out of the car. Lucy hiked her hips one after the other, throwing her legs forward in turn. The soles of her new sneakers made a slapping sound on the pavement as her ankles were held stiffly in place by the molded plastic braces. At least her feet didn't dangle down like they had before. She'd scuffed up several pairs of shoes over the time she had been using the walker, so much to the point that Russell had actually shouted at her for not lifting her feet up. He had muttered something under his breath about 'not being made of money' and the last thing they needed right now was to keep replacing shoes every few weeks on top of the mounting doctor's bills.

Russell Fabray was a man on the edge of a nervous breakdown. He hadn't thought about the long-term ramifications of a disabled child at the time of the first crisis. He had thought that Lucy's illness, whatever it was, would pass and she would recover and be back to her previous self. Instead he had a child who had needed so much attention; the family had been physically and emotionally drained in the time since the mystery illness had shown itself. On top of the worry and exhaustion had been the pain of Bryan's sudden passing just a few months earlier, and the realization that his life just wasn't working out the way it should be.

Russell had lined up a meeting with one of his best clients for that day and then the hospital had phoned right before they left the house that morning to say Lucy's braces were ready. They only had one appointment left with the orthotist for the next two weeks. It was at the exact same time as his business meeting. He had spent a lot of time courting this particular client and he wasn't happy that Russell had phoned to cancel. It just didn't look good with such a large commission at risk. Russell had been forced to rearrange the meeting as a conference call later in the afternoon once the kids were home from school he didn't have to worry that Lucy was in pain from the new braces. He had to collect her early from school a few times since they had reintegrated her from the home-schooling Mary had been in charge of. The new baby had ended that arrangement as well.

Russell wasn't sure why he was starting to feel resentful towards his own family, but Mary's new baby was just going to make it worse. She would be all excited about the perfect little baby while he was stuck in a struggling battle with financial, health and relationship troubles evident. Lucy had been his perfect little angel; what had any of them ever done to deserve the upheaval of the last year?

Too impatient to wait any longer, Russell started down the hill briskly. When he arrived in front of his youngest daughter, he didn't ask her if she wanted help, instead he bodily lifted her from the walker and threw her onto his hip. Sam looked up at his uncle with surprise. "Get the walker, son."

Sam had looked at Lucy and saw her face fall as she realized her father's impatience had grown because she was slow. Sam disliked Lucy being mistreated by anyone and the fact that it was his uncle that had caused Lucy's discomfort made him even more annoyed. Sam was seething, but too respectful to object, so he carefully took the frame and carried it to the car. It didn't weigh very much, so he had his ball under one arm and the frame in both hands.

With his baby brother due soon, Sam had started spending the afternoons with his uncle as well until his dad could pick him up after work. This week though, his dad business trip taking him out of state, he had to stay full-time at his cousins. Normally Sam wouldn't have minded, but he sat next to Lucy's special car seat in the back of the car as they drove home with a sulky expression until she cheered him up and made him come out of his funk. She'd given him her glasses, which he still had on his face, his eyes watering and chuckling at the distorted world, when the car pulled into the driveway.

His uncle Russ glanced in the rearview mirror and then turned in his seat.

"Lucy, where are your glasses?"

Sam pulled them off his face. He quickly shoved them back on her face.

"I'm not going to tell you again that those aren't a toy." They were scolded. Sam watched his uncle until he disappeared around the back of the car to pull Lucy's walker from the trunk. He tickled her arm and she squirmed against the restraints trying to get at him.

Her door popped open and Sam scrambled out of his booster seat and started unfolding her walker. His uncle was unstrapping Lucy, but instead of letting her walk into the house like his mom and aunt always did, he picked her up again. Sam grabbed the walker and darted after them. He ignored the ramp and bounded up the steps. The front door banged behind him.

"Daddy can we play in the garden?" Lucy asked as they entered the living room. She was tired of being cooped up inside. It was spring now. Frannie's music was blaring from the upstairs. Sam called it her painting music, which meant she was in her own world again. His older cousin was just plain weird, Sam had decided.

He glanced at his watch, his eyes widening at the time.

"Francine, turn that music down now!" He yelled. The music lowered a fraction.

Russell needed to set up his conference call and Frannie was in her room, he didn't even bother asking her to come down knowing that she'd refuse and he didn't have time to get into it again with the teenager.

"The garden, daddy." Lucy reminded him, giving him her cheesiest grin. Sam snorted; all she needed to do was bat her eyelashes at him now.

"Not now, Luce."

Sam ran after them with the walker as his uncle headed into the den.

"I need to take this call kids, stay in here and keep the noise down." Russell told them, as he sat Lucy on the rug in front of the couch. He grabbed the remote control handing it to Sam who'd plopped down next to his cousin, with a dejected look on his face.

"But it's nice out. Mommy said we could play outside if it was nice out."

"Your mother isn't here. Do you want me to lose this deal Lucy?" He asked then didn't wait for a reply, instead heading for his office next door.

"What deal?" Sam asked innocently.

"Dunno." Lucy shrugged.

Sam had the soccer ball between his knees as they sat on the rug in front of the TV. Lucy sat with her legs outstretched in front of her beside him watching Sam as he absentmindedly rolled the ball back and forth along the rug.

As the TV show ended, Sam turned off the TV and helped Lucy get up from the floor so she could use the walker. They went to get a glass of milk and then came back. Sam watched his cousin as she kept her balance fairly well. He rolled the ball to her with his hands and she managed to stop it with her right foot. She didn't have much control but she swung her leg at the hip and it tapped the ball back to him. Lucy had a huge grin on her face.

"Do it again," she asked him, her face lighting up with excitement. Sam grinned back at her.

He once again rolled the ball with his hand towards her and this time, she swung her leg back in readiness and met it as it rolled rather than stopping it first. It came back harder and this time he lunged to the side to stop it with his body.

"You should be on my soccer team," he announced.

"Sammy sometimes you are so dumb. Who would want me on their team?" Lucy was still a happy child, despite her illness, but she wasn't stupid. She knew the other kids thought she was pretty helpless and wouldn't even consider her able to play soccer.

"What? That's silly. You can do it." Jumping to his feet, Sam thought differently and this time he kicked the ball to her.

Lucy once more swung her leg in anticipation, but it was moving much quicker this time and as she met the ball with her braced foot, she had none of the control a working ankle would have to cushion the force. The ball starting spinning upwards, heading straight at the shelf over the fireplace.

A loud crash was heard throughout the house and a cloud of grey dust burst up all through the den.

"What the hell is going on? I thought I made it clear you had to be quiet!" Russell yelled at Sam coming through the doorway who stood mouth wide open wide eyed.

"Daddy, I kicked the ball." Lucy admitted quickly, not wanting her cousin to get the blame.

Russell looked at the damage caused and realized the dust was his late brother's ashes that had been spread across the rug. Disbelievingly he looked around noticing the trail of ashes leading to where the ball had rolled a few feet away. Grabbing the soccer ball, he snatched it up and threw it inside his office and then turned to Lucy.

"How could you be so irresponsible?" he yelled at her. "What made you think that you could play soccer in the house?" He roughly yanked the strap around her hips, releasing her from the support and then pulled away the walker.

"Sit still and behave," Before Lucy knew what was happening, he had pushed her backwards, forgetting her balance was terrible without the pelvic support. Instead of her sitting down on the sofa, she fell back onto the floor, her hips hitting down on the wooden floor quite hard. The carpet had been replaced when Lucy had come home from the hospital; it was easier to push a wheelchair on a solid floor, but there was no protection for her when she fell.

Russell was at breaking point. "Dammit, not now," he yelled again as his phone started ringing loudly in the den, disguising the noise of Lucy hitting the floor. The mess they had made and the mess his life was in right now was all just too much. Without a backward glance, he had already turned to go into the office with the walker. "Don't move 'til I get back out here." Russell called out, not turning back towards them and not realizing that she'd fallen.

Sam opened his mouth to tell him that she fell and then closed it quickly when his uncle cussed again.

A moment later the office door slammed shut and the phone stopped ringing.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: see the first chapter

**Chapter 7**

The crash made by the falling urn had been loud enough that Frannie had heard it over her music. She listened out and her father's angry voice could be heard above everything else, until moments later it went quiet again. She jogged down the stairs, wondering just what her sister and cousin were getting into. Knowing those two, the sky was the limit to the amount of mischief they could cause.

She arrived to find Sam staring open mouthed at his cousin who was lying on the floor, half against the sofa, her legs tangled underneath her. Frannie frowned, then followed Sam's stunned gaze and saw first the mess all over the floor.

"What happened?" she hissed at Sam. Turning back to Lucy seeing her sprawled out on the floor looking stunned, Frannie wondered where the walker was.

"Where's the walker?" She asked Lucy.

Lucy sniffled, giant tears forming behind her glasses. Frannie squinted at her. She hated seeing her sister cry.

"Luce, where's the walker?" She asked again, softer this time.

"Uncle Russ took it because me an' Lucy were kicking the ball and it hit the vase." Sam answered instead after a moment.

"That's not a vase, it's an urn," the teenager shook her head, the urn had rolled underneath an end table. Ashes were everywhere. "What a mess. Go get a dustpan and brush Sam."

Sam just looked at her like he couldn't understand what she said and then looked back towards the office door.

"It's okay." Frannie urged. Sam bit his lip, not wanting to make his uncle any more upset at them. "They're in the kitchen." His cousin nodded towards the other room.

"Okay." He whispered and then moved off to get the items.

Turning back to her sister who had yet to move, Frannie helped her sit up and kept a steadying hand until Lucy's back was against the bottom of the sofa. "Stay here a minute, I'll get your chair."

A few moments later, she wheeled in the pediatric wheelchair her sister had used for a year now. She tried to catch her sister's gaze, but Lucy refused to meet it. Frannie frowned.

Lifting under Lucy's arms, Frannie sat her sister in the seat and watched Lucy spin the chair away quickly moving towards her room. She let her go until the mess had been cleaned up, managing to get most of the ashes back into the urn. Sam watched still wide-eyed and very quiet as Frannie placed the container back on the shelf then went in search of her sister.

Lucy was on the bed, lying face down on the mattress, her arms tucked under her chest, sobbing quietly.

Sam had followed his older cousin to see that Lucy was okay. He was very quiet and kept looking over his shoulder towards the office.

"Sam, what happened?" Frannie was anxious to know why her sister was so upset and Sam seemed shell-shocked. He didn't reply, just stood looking at Lucy and chewed on his lower lip.

"Hey." She tried to pull Lucy's arms out from under her to get her sister to roll over, but she sobbed louder and tucked her arms in tighter. Frannie could tell she was trying to squirm away, but couldn't.

"Luce, come on. Look at me." She coaxed. The blonde face burrowed deeper into the mattress.

In a rare act of physical affection for her sister, Frannie sat on the bed next to Lucy and tried to comfort her, stroking along the back of her shoulders soothingly. Lucy continued to sob. Frannie wrapped her arms around Lucy's shoulders and pulled her into her lap, folding her sister's un-resistant legs to the side and burying the blonde head into her shoulder. Rocking her back and forth Lucy began to settle after a while, but was upset and refused to talk despite Frannie's gentle attempts to get her sister to say anything at all.

Sam shuffled his feet near the door, looking back over his shoulder and then at them. Frannie patted the bed next to her before rubbing Lucy's shoulders as her sister sagged against her, spent from crying.

Sam approached, crawling onto the bed. Lucy's lamb was up against the wall. Sam grabbed it and petted its curly fur for a moment and then tucked it against Lucy's chest. "He was just upset because we made a big mess and noise. Uncle Russ didn't mean to make her fall. Is she hurt?" As Sam spoke, his voice sounding small and unsure, he held his hand over his own shoulder where his uncle had pushed Lucy roughly, mimicking the action.

Frannie looked at Lucy who was no longer sobbing, but seemed suddenly drained of all energy instead. Her sister was so tiny.

"Lucy, did you hurt yourself?" She asked, rubbing her hands down Lucy's legs while watching her for any signs that her sister was in pain. After Lucy's surgery, earlier that year, Frannie knew that it now took a lot for her sister to feel pain in her lower limbs. Nothing felt different to her hands.

Frannie felt a sense of fear and hatred course through her. Why would her father who had always treated Lucy like his little angel, physically push her to the floor over a stupid little accident? The resentment towards him had been building with all the nagging he was doing and the ever-increasing expectations he seemed to have for both his children, but this just didn't make sense and hurt more than anything.

Lucy shook her head slowly.

Sam was watching her closely, Frannie smiled at him. "She's okay Sam."

An hour later, Russell hung up the phone with his business contact. The meeting had gone smoother than he'd hoped.

He whistled as he made his way through the den. They hadn't stayed put like he told them, but at least they'd been blissfully quiet and not interrupted the meeting. The floor had been cleaned and a glance at the fireplace told him the urn was back in place. He then noticed Frannie's 'music' had stopped blaring.

Something was up. The kids were never this quiet. He only had a couple hours to get them all ready.

He found them in Lucy's room asleep on her bed. Russell took in the scene before him with concern. Lucy was wrapped up in Frannie's embrace, their legs tangled together. Frannie's lips were pressed into Lucy's fine blonde hair as if she'd fallen asleep while kissing it. Her long arms were stretched over Lucy, protectively, one hand rested on Sam's shoulder. The boy was almost flush against his cousins.

It would have been idyllic except that Frannie wasn't one to cuddle with her little sister and definitely not with her cousin. Lucy's wheelchair looked like it had been pushed away from the bed and his little girl's leg braces and shoes occupied the seat. The nightstand drawer beside the bed was partially open and Russell saw Lucy's inhaler clutched in Frannie's hand. Lucy's face was still red from the tears. Confusion overtook him. Yes, he'd yelled at Sam and Lucy for knocking over his late brother's ashes, but it shouldn't have set Lucy into a crying fit so bad that the girl had an asthma attack.

"Francine." He shook his oldest daughter's shoulder, pulling her from sleep.

"Get up. We have a dinner date at the Country Club."

Frannie blinked at her father. The Country Club? They hadn't been to the country club in months because they couldn't afford it. She didn't even think they belonged anymore.

"What?" She asked confused before she realized that he was looming over them. At the same time Sam and Lucy woke up from the voices so close to their ears. Sam backed away from him and Lucy buried her face into Frannie's shoulder. Frannie instinctively tightened her grip and glared at her father.

"Samuel, go take a shower and put on your church clothes. Don't dawdle either." He commanded.

"Y-yes, sir." The boy nodded quickly and practically ran from the room taking the widest path around his uncle as possible.

Russell's confusion grew. Samuel never called him sir, but he kind of liked it. Frannie hadn't let go of her sister and Lucy seemed to shrink away from him when he turned to her. She didn't meet his eyes either.

"Frannie, sort your sister out and then go get ready and wear something…" He motioned to her clothing, black tight jeans, combat boots and a black tank top splashed with paint. Leather bracelets with goldish-bronze round studs wrapped around her thin wrists. It matched the belt around her slender waist. "Less like that. Pretend you still go to church, Francine. And take that god-awful makeup off. You look like a raccoon." He stalked off to make sure Sam was doing as he was told.

"Okay, Pumpkin. Here's your dress." Frannie smiled at her little sister. Lucy gave a weak smile in return.

Frannie remembered the walker wasn't in the room so she left to get it from her father's office now that he had vanished to take a shower himself. When she returned, Lucy was wriggling into the dress and as she shifted, the older sibling noticed something that made her breath catch.

The area over Lucy's left hip had turned a reddish-purple color and she bit her lip watching Frannie touch the area gingerly. She didn't flinch even though it looked painful. Frannie was both angry and concerned. They'd told her many times to be careful even though spills and bruises were inevitable for any youngster. Lucy's bruises could turn into open sores so easily. They'd have to watch it carefully now. It was just one more thing to worry about.

"Is this from when dad pushed you?" Lucy flinched at the tone, tugging on the dress to get it in place.

"Luce?"

"I f-fell." She stuttered out, dropping her gaze down to her hands and picking at the fur on her lamb.

"You didn't fall Lucy, Sam told me dad pushed you. Did he?"

Lucy's frown deepened and she felt her eyes start to moisten. She didn't know what to answer. She waited patiently as Lucy thought it through. It wasn't uncommon for her to bruise herself and have no clue how it happened, but that wasn't the case here.

"I'm sorry. It was my fault." She said. "He told us not to play soccer in the house."

Frannie silently fumed as Lucy's lower lip quivered.

"Luce." She looked up at her nickname. "Will you tell me if he pushes you again? Promise you will."

She watched her sister for a moment as she started to put her leg braces on and then nod slowly. "I promise."

As they were nearly all ready to go, Lucy emerged into the hallway from her room. Russell was waiting for her and still had a frown on his face when he saw Lucy. He paused and then bent to check the braces on Lucy's legs.

"Daddy, I'm sorry we broke Uncle Buck." She wanted to make him happy more than anything. She didn't like him being mad all the time.

The Velcro was only fastened halfway on her left shin. At the mention of his younger brother, real anger and hurt coursed through him causing him to jerk the strap tight.

Lucy watched his movements with hooded eyes, but didn't make a sound.

Russell stood and looked at her for a moment. He saw her worried face and how cute she looked in her yellow dress and he melted. "Let's get going." A sense of calm washed over him. "Where is Frannie?"

"Upstairs getting ready," Lucy replied honestly. Russell sighed and decided against yelling. "Go wait in the den please," he requested before going to find the more rebellious of his children.

Sam examined his hair in the hallway mirror, a deep scowl pulled his normally smiling face into a grimace. His uncle had emerged from his room a few minutes ago and piled a huge glopping mess of hair gel onto his head and took a comb to his normally unruly hair. Uncle Russ had stepped back and smiled at him through the reflection in the mirror and then patted him on the shoulder. Then he'd left Sam staring at his own reflection and wondering how this Uncle Russ could be so different from the Uncle Russ who'd yelled at them earlier.

Sam was brought out of his sulking over his hairdo when he heard Lucy's walker's wheels squeak as they moved across the floor, followed by the heavy footsteps Lucy took when she walked.

"I look stupid." Sam whined, drawing her attention back to him. She fought to keep the grin off her face, but the corners of her mouth kept twitching upward. He looked silly with his blonde hair, severely parted on the side, a wide swatch of his scalp showing. His hair tended to spike and now it was flat against his scalp. She giggled, bringing her hand to her mouth to stifle the sound.

Sam turned fully taking her in when she didn't answer. She was fighting not to laugh. "You look silly too," he told her. She was dressed in a yellow sundress that came to her knees, her braces on her legs underneath tall white socks with tennis shoes on. She adjusted her balance within the walker and his eyes drew up to her hair. Laughter burst forth, her blonde hair was pulled up into pigtails that stuck out the sides of her head and wiggled when she moved.

"I. Do. Not." She spoke while sticking her tongue out at him because there was nothing within her reach to toss at him.

"At least I look dapper." He spoke, tugging at his black suit jacket.

"You don't even know what that word means."

"I do too." He straightened to his full height, which had him towering over her, but she just laughed at him again totally not threatened by her cousin.

"Alright guys." Frannie startled them when she appeared behind them just as Sam reached for a towel to toss at her. She too burst out laughing at them. Both six year olds turned wide eyes at her before pouting. It wasn't fair. "Go on to the den." She ushered them between little bursts of laughter before her father came down the stairs and they weren't where they were supposed to be.

She helped her sister onto the couch before starting to walk off, but Lucy grabbed a hold of her wrist and Frannie stopped before the momentum pulled her little sister off the couch.

"What?"

Lucy looked towards the stairwell then back at her sister. "Where are you going?"

"To grab your booster seat, munchkin."

"Oh." Lucy let go and watched Frannie move towards the attached garage. Turning away she spotting Sam openly starring at her.

"What?"

"You are a munchkin." He giggled.

"Am not." So she was short and still needed to sit in a booster seat when they went out to eat, not that it happened very often. She wasn't a munchkin though.

Frannie came back in carrying the seat. It pretty much looked like any other booster seat on first glance, but had a molded padded seat and it's sides and back went up a little higher than normal. The seatbelt was fastened. It was specific to her sisters needs so that Lucy could reach forward and sideways without too much worry of tipping out of it. It also gave her the added height she needed. Sam liked to tease her about it, all out of love, and it looked like he'd been doing just that.

A few minutes later Russell came down the stairs to find the kids sitting quietly in the formal living room. They were lined up on the couch and all three heads turned to watch him.

He adjusted the lace collar on Lucy's dress, and then kissed her on the cheek. He was a little surprised that she hesitated for a brief second before kissing him back. Russell brushed it off that she was simply tired. It had been a big day for her after all getting her new leg braces.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart." He told her honestly. She blushed a little and ducked her eyes.

"Samuel." The boy stood up when Russell motioned him to do so. He openly glared at his Uncle but he too averted his eyes when the look was returned. His uncle adjusted his red tie and then Sam could only stare as Uncle Russ pulled out a tiny handkerchief, folded it into a triangle and tucked it into Sam's breast pocket. He looked like a miniature version of his uncle, who also wore a red tie under his black business suite with a red handkerchief tucked into the pocket. Sam thought they looked silly. He'd never been to the country club and didn't know what exactly it meant. To him, it was silly to get so dressed up just to go out to dinner.

Russell moved onto his eldest daughter, content that the younger kids looked presentable to this business client. There was so much riding on this dinner.

"Francine!" She still looked Goth or punk, whatever. He couldn't remember what Judy called the look. Dumb and stupid was what he called it. "Don't you have anything that isn't black?"

"You're wearing black. So is Sam." Came the smart aleck reply.

"Don't start."

"Look Russell." Frannie bit out his name, causing Lucy and Sam to look at her. This was all stupid in her mind. It was all for show and not a true reflection of who the Fabrays were now. Her father was being fake and it irked the teenager.

"I'm going in this or I'm not going. And if I'm not going, then neither are they." Frannie's long finger jutted out in Sam and Lucy's direction. The young kids were staring at her, mouth open, that she was talking back to Russell. There was no way that Frannie was going to let Lucy and Sam leave with him alone. Not now, maybe not ever. So if he wanted her to go, she was going to be herself and not this fake image he was trying to pull over on his client.

Russell stared at her, but the clock chimed reminding him that they really needed to leave. Everything took longer now.

"You." He looked at all three kids, pacing in front of them. "You will respond to Mr. and Mrs. Patterson with 'yes sir or yes ma'am.' You will not talk with your mouths full. You will only answer their questions when they ask them and you will not talk over them. Do you understand me?"

Frannie rolled her eyes. He was pacing in front of them like some demented drill instructor. Thankfully Lucy was still sitting on the couch because he was taking forever with his crazy.

"I can't hear you?"

"Yes, sir." Both the six year olds spoke immediately. After a moment, Frannie responded with the same. She was only going along to keep her sister and cousin safe.

"You." Russell stopped his pacing in front of his oldest. She rolled her eyes at him. "You will be respectful and not smart aleck tonight, Francine. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." She responded dryly.

They arrived at the country club five minutes late. Frannie thought that her father would be throwing a fit, but as he pulled up to the valet he was all smiles. Frannie remained quiet as she exited the front passenger door. Lucy was on her side and Frannie began helping her sister from her car seat.

"Good evening, Sir." The valet greeted him. He was dressed smartly in black dress pants with black vest over a crisp white long-sleeve shirt. His outfit was topped with a neat little black bow tie and the Country Club's logo on the right vest pocket.

Sam was starring openly at him as the setting sun glinted of his shiny dress shoes. Frannie thought they were a little under dressed for the occasion.

"Great weather isn't it." Russell made small talk as the keys were handed over. "Just give me a moment to gather my youngest."

The trunk was open and he handed the booster seat to Sam, the boy took it without complaint. The walker came next and Russell made quick work of pulling the arms out. He crossed over to the backseat and Frannie moved out of the way. She wasn't watching her father, but her sisters facial expression. Lucy looked a little apprehensive, but held up her arms anyway.

"Good girl." Russell cradled her against his hip much the same that he did earlier in the day. This time though his movements weren't frustrated but gentle. He sat her down in between the bars and she immediately started to wobble to her left side, but Russell firmly held her steady and fastened the hip harness to help support her.

Frannie watched her. She seemed fine, the impromptu nap having helped her energy rejuvinate. She still would have her energy zap moments and Frannie felt that they should have packed her wheelchair in the trunk as well. Her father was acting funny even for him and Frannie was growing even more suspicious by the second.

She glanced away as Lucy started towards the door and caught several patrons openly staring at her sister through the large window at the front of the club. They looked away quickly when they realized Frannie caught them. Frannie looked away disgusted. When Lucy was in her wheelchair they tended to gush over her, thinking she was so cute in her little pink chair. Sure there were people who were rude, even to a five year old, and made Lucy's life more complicated when they went out in public. Now that Lucy was somewhat mobile on her own feet, the staring had become worse. The looks turned to pity. It was not easy for her to walk and she labored in her movements.

Frannie was thankful that Lucy tended to get tunnel vision as she moved as she had to concentrate on her footing. The girl didn't notice all the looks received.

Lucy actually noticed it all. She was very perceptive, but she had more important things to do like keeping her legs moving. She stumbled a lot before her braces when her feet dropped with each step. She still stumbled with the new braces too as she still had trouble telling where her feet were unless she was looking at them.

The tile entryway changed into thick plush carpet making it hard to move the walker. After two steps, she paused and leaned back against the support for a breather.

Russell approached the greeter with another fake smile. The greeter motioned to the very back of the club looking very worried. His client was there with his family already seated, wine glasses for the adults and juices for the children had been served. They were looking over the menu's.

"I can try to make room for your party elsewhere, sir." He was looking at Lucy whom was eyeing the distance nervously.

"It's no problem. We'll just take our time. Won't we Lucy." Russell smiled at her and Lucy forced herself to nod, her father's words still pinging around in her head. She wasn't to cause trouble.

Every time she had to move the walker forward Lucy was forced to throw her shoulders forcefully. She was precarious at best yet remained silent.

Frannie was watching her sister like a hawk. Her left foot kept getting hung up on her right sneaker as she shifted her weight forward; it was still the more bothersome leg. Lucy was expelling a huge amount of energy, but she never complained.

Mr. Peterson was on his feet now and moved forward to greet the family, they'd made it almost the full way. Russell, seeing this turned to Lucy and squatted down before.

"Lucy, pumpkin, would you like me to carry you the rest of the way?" He spoke loudly drawing some unwanted attention.

She was breathing heavily and knew that she would need her inhaler soon. She nodded, though she didn't want to. She felt frustration course through her that she hadn't made it all the way. Sam, who was smiling at the little boy sitting at the table, looked backwards at them just as Lucy was hoisted once again onto her father's hip. Her frustration was evident by the slight scowl she wore but when she was lifted, she winced slightly and wriggled a little because Russell's arm was pressing on her sore hip from where she had landed earlier. It wasn't massive, but Sam knew his cousin. Behind them, Frannie was watching every move her father made and she saw Lucy become uncomfortable for a moment when her father picked her up, where she had just looked tired before. The teenager grew suspicious.

Russell turned towards the older gentlemen, having talked to him countless times on the phone, and introduced the kids. The wife had joined them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, this my eldest daughter Francine." He motioned her forward with his freehand.

Frannie smiled politely and then began folding up the walker as they currently stood in the way. The waiter stood behind the gathering politely holding the menu's.

"And this is my nephew, Samuel." Sam pulled a seriously displeased face before remembering his uncle's warning. Mr. Peterson simply laughed and held out his hand.

Sam puffed out his chest and vigorously returned the handshake.

"Do you have a nickname, Samuel?" He had three children under the age of nine and understood that kids liked to shorten their given name. By the blonde boy's reaction this was surely the case.

"I go by Sam." And then he pointed at Lucy. "She calls me Sammy though."

The attention shifted to Lucy whom suddenly seemed shy. It was a little out of the norm, but it had been a stressful day.

"This is my youngest daughter, Lucille." Lucy smiled at them.

"Daddy, no one calls me Lucille, not even Nana Angela."

Mrs Peterson placed a hand on Lucy's face. Turning to Russell, she spoke what everyone who met Lucy thought. "She's just adorable."

Russell beamed at the good impression his family seemed to be creating.

Mr Peterson showed them over to the table and introduced his children, a boy named Davey, who appeared around the same age as Sam and a girl who was somewhere between Frannie and Lucy in age, called Ellie.

Sam didn't sit down but passed the table, which was right by the most enormous windows Sam had ever seen in his life.

"Look at the huge pond outside," he stuck his nose on the glass window so it steamed up.

"Sammie, sometimes you are silly." Lucy was dropped into her chair by Russell. "It's a lake not a pond."

Mr Peterson turned to Russell. "I think we know who the bossy one in your household must be," he grinned. "What she lacks in height, she makes up for with brains."

Russell nodded. "She's tough, even though she looks a little fragile."

Frannie watched her father quietly. She couldn't figure out after all his complaining about money, how they were suddenly able to afford to come here again. Her father had given up playing golf after Lucy became ill and now suddenly he was acting like he owned the place.

Sam was waved back to the table by his uncle and he left the hypnotic trance of the lights shining in the lake. Sitting next to Lucy, he pulled his chair closer to hers so she could read the menu to him. He was hoping for chicken nuggets and fries but he looked around at couldn't see anyone else eating nuggets.

Lucy took the menu from the waiter. She glanced at the words, but it was in a fancy script-like print and she could hardly see it at all, let alone tell what it said. There were a lot of long words on it. She pulled it closer until her nose was almost touching the card and it made Sam laugh. Lucy peered at him over the top of her glasses which made her look just like the teacher at school when she was cross and he stopped straight away.

"Daddy, what's a winer sc… schn…what's that?" She gave up trying to read it and pointed at it instead.

"Weiner schnitzel," he read out to her. "It's Austrian." Russell said that like the kids even knew where it was.

Sam just wanted nuggets.

Frannie took pity on the little ones as her father seemed to be trying to pass them off as something they weren't.

"It's kind of like a giant chicken nugget, you'll like it. It comes with curly fries and corn."

Sam was nodding. "I want the weiner thingy." He pronounced it incorrectly.

The elder Petersons were completely amused by the two blonde youngsters and chuckled at the way they interacted with each other.

"You can have whatever you like, guys." Russell was sounding charming and effusive, which was kind of how he used to be, but not of late.

Frannie wanted to order the most expensive thing on the menu, but in truth she didn't even like lobster, so she ordered the same as Sam.

Lucy looked confused and then whispered to Russell. "Daddy I don't think I can eat a whole big plateful. Will they have happy meal size?"

Russell just looked bemused. "It's a children's size portion, Lucy."

"Oh. Okay," she looked relieved.

Russell took her medicines out of his jacket and placed them on the table.

Lucy wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Frannie wondered why he wasn't more discreet about it. Normally he preferred to keep that sort of thing away from prying eyes, but that evening he seemed to be parading Lucy around like she was some sort of circus novelty act so he could get attention. Maybe it was the incident earlier in the day that was coloring the teenager's opinion of her father, but everything he did or said just felt like there was some sort of ulterior motive to it and she just couldn't figure out what it was.

TBC


End file.
